


Revenge

by LOTSlover



Series: Revenge Series [1]
Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-09
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-11-20 17:34:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 87,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/587961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOTSlover/pseuds/LOTSlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't forgotten about the sequel to my fic Revelation. Started this series to keep you all occupied while I work on the sequel. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

 

“Richard!” 

Her frantic scream split the air only to immediately be swallowed up in the roaring din of battle. Her piercing blue eyes were locked on the D’Haran soldier and his deadly crossbow leveled straight at her Seeker who was trapped in a deadly melee with three more. Soldiers were suddenly everywhere, seemingly appearing out of the secret shadows of the trees and taking them all by surprise.

They had been walking side by side, laughing at the silly stories that he had been telling her to cheer her up. Richard had quickly picked up on her melancholy mood this morning, prodding her until she had finally admitted that today was Dennee’s birthday. He had been telling her ridiculous stories all morning to keep her mind off of how much she missed her sister.

Then, D’Haran soldiers had suddenly poured from the trees like a rushing river, taking them all of guard and quickly separating them from each other. Richard had gotten further and further away from her as the battle had raged on, keeping each of them occupied and from being able to help each other.  
But they wouldn’t keep her from getting to him now. Not him, not her Seeker, her love.

Kahlan raced towards him, her daggers clutched tightly in her fists, her boots fiercely beating the earth in her desperate attempt to reach him in time. Her blue gaze was fixed only on the arrow now that was intended for her Seeker, but she couldn’t move fast enough.

Her breath caught in her throat, her heart hammering against her ribs as she watched the arrow being released. She shrieked his name at the top of her lungs, but still he could not hear her. 

Finally reaching him, she forcefully slammed into him with a strength she had never known, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Stunned by the sudden assault, his sword slipped from his hand as he hit the ground hard, the wind being knocked from his lungs. He swiftly rolled up onto all fours, all the blood draining from his face by the shocking sight that greeted him.

“KAHLAN!”

The panic-stricken cry of her name on his tongue pierced her ears as she looked down at the arrow now penetrating deep into her abdomen. Time came to a sudden screeching halt as her heart began to pound like tribal drums in her ears. Trembling hands tentatively fingered the shaft of the arrow protruding from her body as her legs abruptly betrayed her, dropping her to her knees.

She could feel warm wetness quickly blossoming over her abdomen, soaking her clothes. She gritted her teeth, holding her breath as she swiftly yanked the arrow out. A scream of pain tore from her lips, her head falling back from the sharp pain that seared through her like a ball of fire.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as she watched Richard leap to his feet, screaming her name again as he grabbed his weapon just in time to deflect the deadly swing of an enemy sword. His gaze repeatedly wandered back to her as he fought back the attack, desperately trying to reach her.

Her eyes suddenly became fixed on the image of a D’Haran soldier coming towards her, looming like a giant before her. A hateful sneer twisted his lips as his arm drew back to finish what his comrade had begun.

Her breaths were shallow gasps for air, the pain blinding as she fought to remain upright. This was it. This was to be her end. She was the last of her kind; there would never be another Confessor on earth. She didn’t want to die, not yet. She had so much she still needed to do, things that she had to say to her Seeker.

The battle raging around her became muffled by the rushing of blood in her ears, her vision beginning to tunnel to black pinpoints. She attempted to call his name, but she couldn’t make her tongue work. Tears pooled in her eyes at the thought of leaving him, failing him, never seeing him again.

All of the little moments shared with him flooded her mind as she fought for every second of life that she had left; all of the sweet stolen kisses, the glances of mutual longing, the abiding love for her that permeated his eyes. She had to see him just one more time, tell him how he possessed her heart, to feel his lips so tender against hers. 

The blade of the D’Haran’s sword glinted brilliantly in the afternoon sun as it came arching down towards her throat. She knew in that moment that she’d never get to tell him what she felt for him, that she loved him with every fiber of her being, with her every beat of her heart.

“Time to meet the Keeper, Confessor!”

A sudden cry of rage split the air like a violent crack of thunder as the tip of a sword thrust through the soldier’s chest, a look of sheer surprise taking over his face. The man dropped his sword before he could even finish her off.

The D’Haran was forcefully thrown to the side, revealing the enraged form of her Seeker standing so large before her. The look of sheer rage burning in his eyes would have been frightening to behold if she didn’t know and love the man behind that dark raptor gaze.

She tried to reach out for him, but her body refused to cooperate as she watched his sword fall from his hands as he fell to his knees before her.

“Kah-lan,” he choked out as he gripped her shoulders, his voice cracking as tears stung his eyes. “It’s alright. I’m right here.”

Feeling his powerful hands taking hold of her, she knew that she no longer needed to be strong. He was here. He would take care of her now, be her strength, her everything just like he had always been since meeting him that fateful day in the Hartland woods. 

There was no other person she wanted to spend her life with more than him. And now…now that it was swiftly coming to a sudden end, she was so glad that he was here with her, holding her before she entered the Underworld. It was his eyes that she wanted to lose herself in as her life slipped from her body, his arms she wanted to feel circling her.

Her body suddenly went limp in his arms as he drew her close to him. Pulling her into his lap, he cradled her against his body, protecting and shielding her as best he could from the battle still storming around them.

“Stay with me, Kahlan,” he heatedly begged her.

“I’m so…sorry…” she whispered as she fought to keep her eyes open, forcing herself to focus on his handsome face.

She reached out a weak hand covered with blood, touching the side of his face as she tried to memorize every single fleck of warm light in his beautiful brown eyes, the curve of his lips, the strength of his jaw. “I love you…Richard…”

“No, Kahlan!” he angrily growled as he stroked her cheek. “Stay with me!”

He pressed a hand on her abdomen in a frantic attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. Her clothes her soaked, her skin now a ghostly pale against her dark raven hair.

The scorching smell of wizard’s fire filled the air, the cries of D’Haran soldiers falling to the pain of the agiel all went unnoticed as Richard cradled his Confessor in his arms. A tear slipped unchecked down his cheek as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

“I’m so sorry, Kahlan,” he pleaded with her. “Please…just hang on.”

“I love you…Richard…” she murmured again, fighting to keep her eyes open.

“Spirits, I love you so much, Kahlan,” he pledged to her, kissing her softly. “Just stay with me, alright? Don’t leave me.”

Kahlan softly nodded her head in acknowledgment as her eyes slipped closed. The overwhelming tug of unconsciousness on her body was becoming too hard to fight, the need to just sleep too demanding as a peaceful sense of warmth began to wash through her.

“Keep your eyes open, Kahlan,” he ordered her, furious with her for risking her life for him. 

He knew deep inside that it was an irrational anger, but it should be him laying on the ground right now, not her. Never her. She had put her life in harm’s way time and again in order to save him and he knew that she would again without hesitation. Nothing would keep her from trying to protect him. She was his Confessor, his beautiful brave warrior.

“I’ve always loved you…my Seeker…never forget that…” she whispered, her face turning into his chest as unconsciousness won out.

Richard pulled her even closer, burying his face in her hair as he failed to contain the strangled cry of anguish that rose up from his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw against the heartache and rage that coalesced in his core, threatening to erupt like a deadly volcano.

“ZEDD!” he yelled for his grandfather, knowing that he was losing his Confessor. He could practically feel her life draining from her body with the blood quickly seeping from her wound.

Moments dragged by like days as he waited for someone, anyone to help him save his Kahlan, but the battle continued to explode all around him. How had he missed the ambush? How could he have not known that they were here waiting for them?

The sudden feel of hands roughly grabbing hold of him from behind broke through the trance-like anguish that had seized hold of him, causing Kahlan to slip from his arms as he was forcefully yanked to his feet by several large D’Harans. 

Breaking free, Richard swiftly snatched his sword, swinging it with deadly precision. His rage, his pain consumed him, fueling his need for revenge for what had been done to his Confessor. The embittered wail that suddenly escaped his lips as he thrust his sword vibrated through the air, nearly shaking the leaves free from the trees with the heat of his anguish.

In the next instant, he abruptly found himself on the ground, the world spinning around him. Dazed, he grabbed his head, the feel of warm blood oozing from a wound revealing what had just happened. Getting up on all fours, he attempted to gather his senses, clawing aimlessly at the ground in a futile attempt to find his sword.

A sudden boot slammed into his back, shoving him down onto the ground. He fought to draw air against the weight that held him fast. Hands abruptly wrenched his arms behind his back, rope being roughly tied around his wrists.

His fury exploded inside of him as he was hauled to his feet, his eyes focused on his Confessor who was lying on the ground before him.

“Someone is more than anxious to meet you, Seeker,” the D’Haran sneered in the Seeker’s ear, his breath hot against his skin.

“Should we take the Confessor with us?” one of the men asked.

“No…she’s dead,” the soldier in charge stated as he kicked the Confessor’s body with the toe of his boot, causing her to roll onto her back. “We need to get the Seeker out of here. He’s waiting.”

“Kahlan!” Richard yelled, growling like a caged animal as the soldiers started dragging him away.

There was no response from her as she lay so still on the ground. She needed Cara and Zedd now if she was ever going to survive her injuries. Through the battle, Richard could see them fighting to get to them, but soldiers still stood in their way, keeping them from reaching her. They were still too far away to help.

He didn’t care about himself or what these men did to him as long as Kahlan was alive. Everything in life was a very distant second to her. He could live, survive anything as long as he knew she was going to be alright.

He struggled against the rough rope that held him fast, the large hands hauling him away, but it was no use. He caught a glimpse of his sword lying uselessly on the ground next to Kahlan’s body. He had allowed himself to be captured, Kahlan to be killed. This was his fault and now he’d never see his beloved again. 

As they dragged him into the thick knot of trees, Kahlan’s lifeless body was the last thing he saw.

XXX

“Lord Rahl!” Cara yelled as she watched him disappear into the woods.

The Mord’Sith slammed her agiels into the neck of the D’Haran in front of her, grinding her teeth in rage at having been unable to protect her Lord Rahl. The bones in the man’s neck splintered with a sickening crack as he collapsed to his death at her feet.

Her chest heaving, she tore into the next one, bent on ending this once and for all so she could track down the Seeker and save him. Wizard’s fire shot past her like bolts of lightning, engulfing one soldier after another in flames.

Finishing them off, Zedd raced across the field to the fallen Mother Confessor lying still on the ground only to be hindered by more hulking D’Harans determined to keep him from getting to her. With an angry growl, he released another blast of magic, tossing them all aside as if they were nothing but chaff in the wind. They weren’t going to keep him getting to her.

Finally reaching her, Zedd winced at the gruesome sight of her. A large pool of blood soaked the earth beneath her, staining the grass bright red. Her face was a ghastly shade as she lay so lifeless before him. The Wizard immediately set to work, fearing the worse and abruptly sinking back on his heels in defeat when he confirmed it.

Kahlan was dead.

“CARA!” he yelled as he watched her send the last of the soldiers to the Keeper.

The Mord’Sith took off in a dead run towards him, sliding to her knees beside Kahlan. The grisly sight of her friend that greeted her nearly made her nauseous, but she ignored it as she leaned over her, holding back her hair as she parted her lips. A faint vapor passed from her mouth into Kahlan’s, providing her with the life saving breath that she so desperately needed at that moment.

The Mord’Sith sat back on her heels, her emerald gaze focused on the ashen face of the Mother Confessor as they silently waited. With a sudden gasp, Kahlan arched her back as she sucked in air, her eyes fluttering open.

“Kahlan,” Zedd breathed a sigh of relief.

Kahlan began to look around, searching for her Seeker. She sat up, needing to find him. All she saw was the clearing littered with dead D’Haran soldiers. Her gaze finally settled on the Sword of Truth lying on the ground near her. There was no sign of Richard anywhere. 

“Richard!” she screamed.

Zedd and Cara grabbed hold of her arms, keeping her from getting up. “Careful, Kahlan,” Zedd warned. “You need to take it easy. You’ve lost a great deal of blood.”

“We have to find Richard,” she cried, desperation blossoming deep in her core.

“You need to rest, Kahlan,” Cara insisted. “I just brought you back from the Underworld. You’re in no shape to go running off in search of Lord Rahl.”

Pulling from their hold on her arms, Kahlan sat up despite the dizziness that rattled her brain, reaching for Richard’s sword. She held it against her chest as she drank in the bloody scene that surrounded them. So many soldiers had been sent to ambush them. 

Someone wanted Richard…badly.

XXX

He could feel the warm seeping of blood from his head and down the back of his neck as they dragged him through the woods. His head throbbed relentlessly, but it was nothing compared the agonizing pain that consumed his heart. Nothing else mattered in this world now.

Kahlan was dead.

The soldiers didn’t seem to care if they were being followed as they made their way through the darkening forest. They weren’t doing anything to cover their tracks as they half-dragged, half-carried him to spirits knew where or who.

Darken Rahl was dead. Richard had refused to claim the throne. No one had been ruling D’Hara for months now, but someone had obviously stepped in and taken control. It was probably that same someone that he was being taken to now.

Twisting his wrists, he could feel the ropes biting into his skin as he attempted to break free, but it was no use. His empty scabbard gently bumped against his thigh as he moved, reminding him that he was without his weapon too.

He had to find a way to escape, to get back to Zedd and Cara. Maybe they had been able to get to Kahlan in time. The sudden thought caused a faint flicker of hope to spring anew in his heart amidst the unbearable anguish that swam in his soul.

Richard knew that he was going to have to hold onto to that hope with all that he had if he was ever going to survive this. Without her in the world, nothing made sense. Life held no meaning, no color, no joy, no hope. It brought a suffocating emptiness.

Cutting through a thick tangle of bushes, they entered a small clearing where horses waited patiently for them to return. Richard knew that he was going to have to break free soon; this was going to be his only chance. Once they got him on horseback, it was going to be that much more difficult for Zedd and Cara to find him.

Seeing a large tree root jutting out of the ground, he suddenly dug his boots into the dirt, catching hold of the root. The two D’Haran soldiers dragging him lost their grip on him with his abrupt stop, causing the Seeker to fall to the ground. He quickly rolled onto his back, kicking his legs to get back up onto his feet.

Richard took off through the trees, back in the direction he had just come from, desperate to get back to the others. He had to know if Cara had been able to get to Kahlan in time to save her life. The thought of her spending even one moment in the Underworld with his vile brother caused his rage to blaze anew through his veins.

Keeping his head down, he ducked under low-lying branches, avoiding thorny bushes as he raced past one tree after another. He could hear the thunderous stampede of the soldier’s boots behind him as they chased after him, knowing that losing their prized catch would result in all their deaths.

He zigzagged his way around enormous tree trunks in an attempt to avoid any more deadly arrows. His breath came in exerted pulls for air, his lungs burning for oxygen as he dashed around a thick cocoon of brush. He stayed stone still, waiting and listening as he did his best to catch his breath.

The forest was suddenly eerily quiet, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He just prayed he could escape without a fight because right now, he had nothing to fight with…or, for that matter, to fight for anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 2

His breaths were rapid staccatos as he huddled beneath the thick undergrowth of brush that he had quickly dived into. He felt as though his heart was hammering loud enough for even the Underworld to hear it. He was worried that it was going to betray him, giving his position away. 

Richard didn’t know how it was even still beating now after everything that had just happened, how it was still a living thing within his chest after losing Kahlan.

She owned his heart, had been everything to him and now she was dead.

No…he silently berated himself, swallowing back the sob of anguish that suddenly caught in his throat. He had to believe that Zedd and Cara got to her in time. If not, if he didn’t grasp onto that single thin thread of hope with everything that he had left, then there was no reason to live.

It made it more than difficult to even draw a breath at that moment as he thought about a world without her being in it, a future that no longer allowed him to see her smile or lose himself in her intense cobalt eyes. It felt as if the D’Harans had caught suddenly him again, wrapping their arms around him and squeezing his chest, crushing him and taking the air from his lungs.

The sound of voices sliced through his tormented thoughts, bringing him back to his present desperate situation. He twisted his wrists again, grinding his teeth as the ropes burned like fire against his skin. The muscles in his legs began to tighten and cramp as he hunched closer to the ground, branches sticking him in the back as he attempted to shift his position without giving himself away.

“Over here!” a soldier suddenly yelled from nearby, causing the Seeker to immediately freeze.

“Find him now!” another roared. “Returning without the Seeker means all of our heads!”

Richard could hear the pounding of their footsteps drawing closer, their voices louder. He bit his bottom lip in anticipation, determined to fight his way through every last one of them if need be in order to gain his freedom.

He held his breath, waiting for the moment that he could escape without detection. The sharp cracking of a stick beneath the boot nearly made him jump, but he steeled himself to stay frozen in place no matter how badly his body was beginning to ache from the cramped position he had balled himself up into.

With his hands bound and no sword at his side, he knew that he was at a serious disadvantage, but that had never deterred him in the past and it certainly wouldn’t stop him now. He wanted the blood of the soldier who had so brutally taken Kahlan’s life, the one who had stolen his soul-mate from him.

He could feel his rage coalescing in his core, swimming in an ever-growing current that seeped into every fiber of his being. He wanted to look that man in the eye as he breathed his last breath, wanted that man to know that that it had been him who had taken his life and why. He wanted to be the one who sent that vile monster to the Keeper, knowing that his Confessor has been avenged.

Even then, though, Richard knew he’d never again know peace within his soul. He knew that extracting revenge would only bring a fraction of comfort to him in the end, but right now it was all that was holding him together.

The forest suddenly became eerily quiet. No chirping of birds. No scurrying of squirrels. No rustling of rabbits through the bushes. No sound could be heard except for the soft pulsating pants of his breath as sweat trickled down his neck and back.

He could feel the fine hair begin to prickle on the back of his neck as he silently waited. He knew these men would not give up so easily. These were the best of the best of D’Hara’s soldiers. These were the elite guard. He had been fortunate to have been able to escape at all let alone make it this long before being captured again.

He knew that every second that slipped by was only dragging him that much closer to being back in their grasp, every moment of freedom becoming more fleeting. He risked peering up at the sky through the green blanket of foliage that was a canopy over him. Through the leaves, he could see bits of sky that had grown darker since the attack had first begun.

Evening was fast approaching and with no way to fend for himself, he knew he was in serious trouble. His head felt like fireworks repeatedly firing inside. He could tell his hair was matted with dried blood now.

He couldn’t stay here all night. He was going to have to risk getting help, finding Zedd and Cara if he was going to survive. He continued listening to the tranquil solace that surrounded him, finding no comfort, but only more anguish and dread. There was a dark foreboding that was crushing in on him from every side, one that he knew that he would never escape as long as he was alive.

There would never again be daylight in his life, only an endless starless night, the kind of inky black void where one couldn’t even see their own hand before their face. That’s what it felt like inside.

He absentmindedly wondered in some strange way if this was what death felt like…only he was still alive to experience it, to endure its relentless tormenting haunt.

Sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes. He risked tilting his head and wiping his brow across his shoulder. A twig poking him in the back snapped with his movement, causing him to suddenly freeze.

He held his breath again as he listened. Still no sound. No nothing. He was all alone. 

In the distance, he suddenly heard an owl begin its evening call to its mate. It brought an odd sense of comfort, knowing that he was not alone and yet at the same time, pierced his heart like the same arrow that had taken his Confessor. 

It’s forlorn, lonesome hoots softly carried on the hot evening breeze, dancing in the air and lingering in his ears. It was seeking out its mate, searching for its other half. But his…his was gone, no longer to call his name or smile that smile that lit up his soul.

Minutes dragged by like an eternity as he waited in his hunched position. He hoped that the soldiers had turned back to get their horses to try again, but somehow he knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. He also knew that he couldn’t stay here any longer. His muscles burned and ached from their locked position, his head pounding.

Slowly, Richard slid one foot forward, stopping and listening to hear if his position had been discovered. Hearing nothing, he slowly slid his other foot next, pausing to listen again. Still nothing. Some of the twigs softly bent to accommodate his shifting position, helping to keep him safe as he guardedly inched away from his hiding place.

His heart raced like a stampede of horses, knowing that one of the large D’Harans could just pop up out of nowhere, grabbing him by the neck and hurling him like a child if they wished. It didn’t really matter, though. There was nothing that anyone could do to hurt him more than what had already been done. He was already dead inside. It was just a matter of time for his body to catch up with his heart.

Nearing the edge of the undergrowth, Richard paused, peering past the leaves for any sign of his captors. He silently listened, knowing his time was running out. Hearing nothing, he carefully pushed his way past the thick tangle of branches and leaves. It was now or never.

Exiting the brush, he quickly leapt to his feet. He was all alone. There was no sign of anyone around. Now was his chance to find Zedd and Cara. 

An unexpected cracking sound was the last thing he registered just before everything suddenly went black. 

XXX

“Kahlan, you must rest. It’s far too dangerous for you to keep going like this,” Zedd adamantly insisted with a deep frown that only accentuated the wrinkles that lined his face.

“We’ve wasted far too much time as it is,” she bit out, never breaking stride as they made their way through the dense forest. “I’ll rest when Richard is safely back with us.”

Following the determined Mother Confessor and Mord’Sith through the woods, he knew it was pointless to argue with her. He couldn’t very well force her to do anything. She was much too stubborn for her own good. With Richard now missing, she was going to be next to impossible to persuade to take care of herself.

She had lost a lot of blood in that attack. It would take time for her to heal from that arrow that had stolen her life, but trying to force her to stop when the Seeker’s life was at stake was a hopeless cause. To her, her life meant nothing compared to his. He also knew the Seeker felt the same way for his Confessor.

Zedd huffed under his breath as he worked to keep up with them. He had to admit that he was more than concerned about the welfare of his grandson. For someone to send that many D’Haran soldiers after him, it had to be something significant. 

He just couldn’t figure out who it could be. Darken Rahl was dead, had been for months. No one had assumed the throne of D’Hara that rightfully belonged to Richard…at least not that they knew of yet.

The Wizard felt an uneasy chill settle in his old bones at the thought of another tyrant possibly taking control of D’Hara or even the Mord’Sith being in charge for that matter. Despite how evil Darken Rahl was, there always could be someone far worse. 

He shuddered at the thought of someone worse than that evil monster that was Richard’s brother. It was beyond difficult to believe that two people could be brothers and yet so different; one full of hatred and one full of compassion. 

“You’re not going to do him or anyone else any good for that matter if you’re dead,” he groused.

“Then Cara can bring me back again with the breath of life,” Kahlan snapped. “I already rested long enough back at the clearing. We’ve wasted too much time.” 

Cara looked to the sky, worry for her Lord Rahl brewing. “We’re running out of daylight,” she commented.

“We can’t stop now,” Kahlan stated.

“We won’t be able to follow their tracks in the dark,” Zedd reminded her. “We’ll have to start again at first light.”

“I can’t stand the thought of Richard in the hands of those soldiers any longer than necessary,” the Mother Confessor angrily replied.

“They won’t hurt him, Kahlan,” Zedd gently told her. “They didn’t come to kill him. They would’ve done it long before now. They want him alive for some reason, probably to bring him back to whoever sent them for him in the first place.”

Frustrated, Kahlan pulled a stray lock of raven hair behind her ear. “That doesn’t make me feel much better, Zedd. Who could’ve done this?”

“I don’t know, but I promise you we will find out,” he swore to her.

“I hope so,” Kahlan murmured more to herself than the others.

She tightened her grip on the hilt of the Sword of Truth, holding it in a death-grip. She could feel the magic it held, the righteous rage from it inundating her and fueling the fury that already stormed within her. The thought of those men taking Richard made her nauseous.

The last thing she remembered was being safely cradled in his arms, the look of sheer anguish that had veiled his face breaking her fading heart. She hated the thought of causing him so much pain, but it was preferable to being the one watching him die instead.

When she had seen that arrow being leveled at her Seeker, her legs had very nearly betrayed her, almost giving out on her with the pure fear that had suddenly swept over her. She hadn’t even thought twice about shoving him out of the deadly path of that arrow, saving his life at the risk of her own. 

And if truth be told, she’d do it all over again even if Cara wasn’t able to bring her back from the dead. Just knowing that he was alive and safe in the world of the living would have been more than enough for her to lay down her life for him again and again. She loved him too much to let him die.

“We’re going to have to make camp for the night soon,” Cara suddenly announced, causing Kahlan to stop abruptly in her tracks.

“What?” Kahlan angrily whirled on her. “I thought you of all people would stop at nothing to help get your Lord Rahl back.”

“I want him back too, Kahlan,” Cara evenly explained. “But we can’t search the woods in the dark. It’s too dangerous. Besides, you need to rest. You look like you’ve been to the Underworld and back.”

“I have been,” Kahlan bit out, emphasizing every word.

“Kahlan, my dear, we’ll start at first light,” Zedd reassured her, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. “Richard is strong. He can survive anything. You know he won’t stop fighting to get back to us…to you.”

Sighing heavily, Kahlan finally nodded in agreement, unable to find her voice at that moment. Looking up at the moon starting to peek over the treetops, she couldn’t help but wonder where he was and if he was alright.

XXX

Richard groaned as his head slowly rolled from one side to the other, his chin resting on his chest. He squeezed his eyes tight against the sounds rushing in his ears. He couldn’t quite make out the noises he was hearing or what was going on, only that his head felt as if it had connected with a hammer.

He groaned again as he attempted to lift his head, his neck stiff and not wanting to cooperate at that precise moment. He tried to swallow, but his throat was scorched as a desert. He slowly moved his jaw, trying to make his tongue work, but nothing seemed like it wanted to cooperate with him.

Finally, he tried opening his eyes, blinking several times before his vision decided to work. Everything was blurry as his eyes attempted to focus on what he was playing out before him. Several D’Haran soldiers sat around a large campfire, talking and eating. Their rolling laughter felt as if it could split his head in two. Whatever they had hit him with had done the job this time.

They didn’t even seem to be paying the least bit of attention to him as they talked, eating and telling tales of their numerous battles. He carefully attempted to sit forward, only to find his body wrapped tightly with rope. Shifting his position, he could feel the bark of the tree rough against his back. Looking down, he saw that his legs had been bound securely with rope as well, his boots missing.

They were going to make sure that he wasn’t going to escape again and if he did, he would have an even harder time getting around the rough terrain without anything on his feet. 

He tilted his head back against the tree he was tied to, gazing up at the night sky as he tried to think of a way out of this. The moon shined down on him from above, a brightly glowing ball standing out against an inky canvas littered with stars. How long had he been unconscious?

His thoughts quickly drifted to Kahlan and the dead void that had taken up permanent residence in his chest, remembering the last time that he had seen her. She had been lying dead on the ground before him, needing him, needing his help to save her life and he hadn’t been able to do a damn thing for her.

And now she was lost to him…forever.

Richard’s chin fell to his chest in overwhelming waves of sorrow, his insides quivering with a rage so intense he thought for certain he would go mad from the sheer weight of his loss. Looking down at her blood staining his shirt, all he could think about was the desperate need for revenge that began to devour him from the inside out, the rage that was taking control of his body.

These animals would not live to be old men; he would personally see to that. Every single one of them would feel the heat of his fury, his blade would sing with the taste of their blood when it was all said and done.

“Why the long face, Seeker?”

Lifting his head, Richard leveled a deadly glare at the soldier crouching down before him. He was the one who had kicked Kahlan with his boot, pronouncing her dead. The Seeker quickly decided with a small hint of joy that he would die first. The one who shot the arrow would be next.

“Do you miss your friends…your Confessor maybe?” he derided with a smirk.

Richard’s chest began to heave as he glowered at the man before him, memorizing every detail of his face, the ridicule that filled his dark brown eyes. He pictured that same face being removed from his body, the sudden elation that thought brought him hardening his resolve to slaughter every last one of them.

“She’s dead. I’d forget about her if I was you,” the soldier continued, his face suddenly growing serious. “The sooner you forget her, the easier it will be for you. You have much bigger things ahead of you that you need to worry about.”

“I will kill you,” the Seeker hissed like a deadly viper preparing to strike, his body beginning to tremble with the fury pounding through his veins.

The soldier studied him for a long moment, noticing the storm of fury that was intensifying before him, the raptor gaze that sliced deep into his soul. He internally shuddered; suddenly very glad they had bound the Seeker as heavily as they had this time. He licked his lips as he attempted to gather himself before finally replying. 

“You’ll find out your destiny soon enough,” he replied, keeping his voice steady despite the sudden unease he felt. 

His fingers wandered to the hilt of his weapon, making sure it was still close at his side even though he knew that the Seeker wasn’t going anywhere this time. He knew he could never be too careful when it came to Richard Cypher.

Richard watched as the soldier slowly stood to his feet and walked away, joining his comrades around the fire. He was obviously their leader. And he would be the first one to die.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 3

Her hand lightly caressed the contour of his face, her penetrating blue gaze locked solely on him. He felt his heart stutter in his chest as his lips tentatively met hers, gradually kissing her more urgently and pouring his love into that moment. He wanted her to know, she had to know what he felt for her. Words were no longer enough. Not after what they had been through together. He had to show her once and for all what lived in his heart for her regardless of the consequences.

Kahlan breathed his name as his fingers deftly began to unfasten the clasps of her jacket, roughly shoving it down her arms as his need suddenly took control. Lowering her to the ground, he quickly covered her with his body, shielding her and beginning to take her the way that he had dreamed of for well over a year now.

_“Richard…”_

The heat of her body, the panting whisper of his name on her tongue were making it difficult to not come undone right there as they started removing each other’s clothes. He kissed her passionately as his hands began exploring her flesh, his body’s demand to be buried deep within her overwhelming him.

She swiftly flipped them over, her hair becoming an onyx veil as her mouth collided with his in an open-mouthed kiss of mutual need. Her fingers grazed over his skin in a deliberately slow, sensual exploration that left him hungry for so much more.

Kahlan abruptly pulled out of the kiss, Richard quickly following her with his mouth, desperate to reconnect with her again, but she was suddenly gone from his presence. He was all alone. Sitting up, he called her name as he leapt to his feet, his chest heaving as he frantically searched for her, but she was not there.

 _“Kahlan!”_

He screamed her name again, his terror rising as he ran through the woods searching for her. She couldn’t leave him like this, leave him alone in life to go on without her. Why would she do this to him? Didn’t she love him like he loved her? Why would she cause him such unimaginable pain?

The feel of a boot sharply jabbing him in the ribs suddenly roused him from his tormented slumber, causing him to jolt awake. His eyes immediately began scanning his surroundings as he searched for her, his pulse racing as he fought against the ropes that still held him securely to the tree.

 _“Kahlan!”_ he called frantically, feeling disoriented and lost as if still trapped in that bittersweet dream.

The large soldier looming over him chuckled, a smirk settling on his broad face. “She’s dead, Seeker…remember?” he reminded him. “That whore is safely in the presence of the Keeper where she belongs.”

Richard snarled under his breath, grinding his teeth in heated rage, his muscles coiled tightly with a desperate need to rip this man apart. He was not about to let these monsters get away with what they had done to Kahlan.

“Not if I can help it,” he hissed.

A deep rolling laugh spilled from the soldier’s lips as he leaned over, placing his hands on his knees to stare into the Seeker’s razor sharp gaze. “And what can you possibly do about it now?”

“I will find a way to get her back,” he sneered, not flinching under the soldier’s suddenly close proximity or the ridicule that danced in his coal black eyes.

“You have bigger things to worry about than trying to save a dead Confessor from the Keeper,” the man told him, his expression losing every bit of the amusement that had just filled his face. “Someone is waiting for you.”

“Who?” Richard demanded, feeling the ropes suddenly slacken from around his body.

He immediately lunged forward only to be seized by his shirt by the soldier standing before him. He was roughly hauled to his feet like a ragdoll, his face mere inches from the mountain of a man who held him tightly in his grasp. His toes barely brushed against the dirt covered ground, his hands bound tightly in front of him.

“You will find out soon enough,” the D’Haran calmly stated, his icy black stare peering deeply into the Seeker’s soul. “Just know that you will no longer be your own person with a free will or a future of your own choosing once we reach D’Hara.”

“Know this, I will never submit to anyone,” Richard growled, not the least bit intimidated by the soldier. “And I will kill every last one of you.”

“We’ll just see about that, Seeker.”

“Denna already tried to break me,” he stated with a derisive smirk. “It didn’t work.”

“Who said anything about the Mord’Sith?” the soldier replied, cocking a black eyebrow.

Everything about the man was dark and foreboding from his black hair to his eyes that appeared to be made of pure coal. A jagged scar ran the length of his face from his right brow clear down his cheek before disappearing in the beard that lined his jaw, adding to his already ferocious appearance. 

Hatred and wickedness swam in the inky voids that stared back at him, but it did little to deter the Seeker. He had nothing to lose to this man or anyone else for that matter. What he loved most was gone. Nothing else mattered in the world to him anymore. Everything of importance was gone.

Richard suddenly felt arms seizing him on either side and dragging him to a nearby horse. Shoving him into the saddle, they quickly bound his wrists to the pummel before tying his feet to the stirrups. He knew that he was not going anywhere this time.

He stared straight ahead, his jaw flexing and nostrils flaring with the furious need for revenge that was pumping through him. He had no idea who had taken over the throne of D’Hara, who wanted him so badly, but he didn’t have time to find out right now.

He had to get back to Zedd and Cara, find a way to get Kahlan back. There were all sorts of magical spells and incantations, things kept at the Wizard’s Keep in Aydindril that could possibly help him get to her. There had to be a way to bring someone back from the Underworld. 

She wasn’t supposed to be there, wasn’t supposed to die. It wasn’t her time. They were supposed to seal the rift and return to Aydindril together, supposed to be married and have a houseful of daughters. He had believed for so long that he was going to find a way for them to be together someday despite her magic. 

He still believed that with his whole heart. Now, he just needed to get her back with him where she belonged, where she was always supposed to be.

The thought gave him a sudden renewed sense of purpose and hope. Bringing Kahlan back from the dead sounded implausible even to him, but it was much more preferable to believing that she was dead, forever gone from his life.

The concept of a future without his Confessor, his Kahlan filling every single aspect of it caused unimaginable sorrow to boil over in his core all over again. He found it difficult to draw a breath, anguish pressing in on him from every side. He fought back the tears that continually simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to escape his suddenly wavering control.

He had no idea how it was possible to feel such crippling pain while at the same time feeling so completely dead inside. It didn’t seem feasible and yet it was exactly what he felt. Empty and numb, pain and grief all co-mingling inside of him.

Richard swallowed hard as they began to lead him from the clearing and into the thick mass of trees towards his new future, one that was quickly becoming inescapable. He couldn’t help casting a hopeful glance over his shoulder, his frantic gaze searching the trees for any sign that Zedd and Cara were coming for him or that Kahlan was with them, alive and safe once more.

Just one last glimpse of her, to know with absolute certainty that she was alive was all that he wanted, needed at that moment.

But there was nothing there except for the remaining D’Haran soldiers on horseback bringing up the rear and ensuring that his captivity would last for quite some time. He wasn’t going anywhere…except to D’Hara now.

XXX

Kneeling close to the ground, Cara lightly traced the outline of a boot track in the dirt with her finger. It was the Lord Rahl’s. Her heart tightened when she realized that it was not a fresh track, likely one that had been made yesterday.

From the surrounding marks in the forest floor, it appeared as though he had put up quite a fight. It also looked as if he had lost.

She stood to her feet with a frown, placing her hands on her hips in frustration as she scanned the area. Daylight was just breaking over the horizon, casting pink and gray shadows through the trees. Every moment that slipped by took him farther and farther away from them and closer to the unknown tyrant that was after him. 

Cara wanted nothing more than to chase after those soldiers who had taken him, but Kahlan’s life was still in danger. She had lost a lot of blood, had been in the Underworld for far longer than most that are brought back with the breath of life. They couldn’t risk her safety now no matter how badly she wanted to get Lord Rahl back. She knew that he would never forgive her if she risked Kahlan’s life over his.

The Mother Confessor’s unexpected scream suddenly cut through the woods and through her thoughts like a knife. The Mord’Sith took off in the direction of their camp, her hands immediately on her agiels as she raced through the trees. Her heart was abruptly in her throat at the thought of losing another friend.

Entering the clearing, Cara found Kahlan all alone. She was sitting curled up on her bedroll, her arms wrapped tightly around her drawn up legs, her forehead pressed against her knees. Her whole body was shaking violently.

“Kahlan, what’s wrong?” Cara demanded as she ran to her side.

Zedd entered from the other side of the trees, his robes fluttering around him as he hurried to her. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Cara shook her head, her face masked with worry.

“Kahlan, what is it?” Zedd asked her again, placing a weathered hand on the back of her head as she cried.

“Nightmare…” she managed to murmur between gasping sobs.

“A nightmare?” Cara shook her head in confusion. “A nightmare about what?”

“The Keeper,” she whispered as she finally lifted her head to look at them. “He’s following me in my sleep.”

“Following you? In your dreams?” Cara pressed.

“Yes,” she softly replied.

“It’s probably just an after affect from being in the Underworld for so long,” Zedd speculated as he watched her. “You were there for several minutes. Do you remember anything happening while you were there?”

“There were bodies everywhere, writhing and moaning,” she shuddered. “I could hear someone laughing, calling my name, but I couldn’t see who it was. I felt a wicked presence all around me, touching my skin and…”

“The Keeper,” Cara murmured.

Kahlan suddenly jumped to her feet. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over now,” she stated, brushing the tears from her face and regaining control once more. “We have more important things to worry about like finding Richard.”

“You’re still not out of the woods yet, my dear,” Zedd grimly informed her, placing his hands on his knees as he pushed himself up to his feet.

“I’m going after him with or without you so don’t try and stop me,” she announced, quickly packing her things.

Zedd cast a disconcerting glance at Cara. “I’m sure they’re well on their way to D’Hara. We should probably pick up some horses along the way if we’re ever going to catch up with them before they reach the People’s Palace.”

“Are you certain that’s where they’re heading?” Cara asked.

“No, but it makes the most sense. Those D’Haran soldiers wouldn’t answer to just anyone,” he informed them. “It must be someone powerful and in control of the territory now. Someone has claimed the throne.”

Packing up her things, Kahlan attempted to tune out their conversation. She was terrified for Richard, of who could want him now, of what was happening to him at that moment. Folding up her blanket, her fingers brushed against the Sword of Truth lying on the ground by her side. Laying the blanket aside, she carefully picked up the sword, holding it gently in her hands.

She could feel the thrilling hum of magic seeping into her veins as she held it, her anger over losing Richard quickly escalating the longer that she touched it. It nearly took her breath away.

The thought of Richard out there without his sword caused her stomach to settle into her boots. She couldn’t bear to think of him in the hands of all those soldiers or even worse the tyrant that wanted him. What could they want him for?

Tears scorched her throat as she stared at the blade, the weapon that had saved her life numerous times...too many times to count She lightly ran her fingers over the hilt, imagining his powerful hands gripping it in his endless dance with death, the courage and skill that he possessed as he fought to save the world. 

Spirits, she needed him, loved him. She had to find him before it was too late.

XXX

The endless cries and moans of the dead rose and fell in erratic waves as he walked through his new domain. He had a hard time accepting that he was here instead of being in the world of the living despite his status as the Keeper’s right hand. He still had plans and dreams that he wanted to come to fruition and he couldn’t do that if he was dead and trapped in the Underworld.

Darken stroked his chin in thought as he paused to gaze over a rocky ledge at the bleak scene below. The sea of writhing bodies spread as far as his eye could see and beyond, their whimpering cries droning on and on in an endless chorus of suffering.

What good did it do him being the right hand of the Keeper over the dead?

There was no true reward in it, no way to get back what was rightfully his, no way to get revenge against those who put him here, namely his brother and the Mother Confessor.

He was surprised his brother hadn’t swooped in and stolen his throne from him yet. He’d been dead for months, giving Richard plenty of time to steal it. It was only fortunate for him that the Seeker’s noble heart had gotten in the way, forcing him to search for the Stone of Tears instead of taking what was not his to have.

But Darken knew that it wouldn’t be long. Richard would eventually claim the throne, getting in the way of his plans just like he had always done when he was alive. He would forever be a thorn in his side. Even trapped here in the depths of the Underworld, he couldn’t help but feel his perfect little brother’s virtuous influence in the world of the living. He was sure it would make him ill if he weren’t already dead.

Of course, he did take great joy in having Kahlan here in the Underworld with him if but for only a few minutes. Even here, the Mother Confessor’s striking beauty could not be diminished amidst the dark hazy green fog that always filled it. If he had his way, she would be a permanent residence here with him. 

It was the only thing that would bring him some small measure of happiness in this bleak so-called existence of his. Knowing that his brother was forced to live without the woman he loved so dearly, watching the Mother Confessor suffer for all eternity, having her all to himself to do with as he wished. That would definitely help make up for what Richard and Kahlan had put him through.

But of course Cara had been there to provide the breath of life when Kahlan had needed it most, stealing her from his grasp. Just a couple of more moments and Kahlan’s fate would have been forever sealed.

He hadn’t actually gotten a chance to talk to her, touch her. He had only caught a glimpse her from a distance. By the time he had reached the spot that she had been, she had been saved.

Darken closed his eyes, envisioning Richard holding her lifeless body to his chest, begging her to live. A smile crept across his face as the image danced in his head. The Seeker had come so very close to losing her to him forever. If only he knew how truly close he had come. One moment longer and…

“Darken.”

The hauntingly familiar echo of his name reverberated through him, causing him to open his eyes and immediately look around. “Yes, my Master?” he obediently called into the air as he quickly got down on one knee.

“The Mother Confessor will be joining us again soon,” the Keeper announced.

“But how?” he asked, confused by the sudden revelation. “The Mord’Sith just saved her. Will she be killed again?”

“Even though she was not here long, she was here long enough and soon she will be here again.”

“What do you mean, my Master? How can that be?”

“I may not be able to use my dark magic in the world of the living just yet, but down here my power reigns supreme.”

The Underworld suddenly quaked with the Keeper’s words causing Darken to place both hands on the ground to steady himself. Thunder abruptly cracked, coming out of nowhere and temporarily silencing the endless cries and moans that had filled the air.

“It will be a pleasure to introduce the Mother Confessor to the ways of the Underworld, my Master,” Darken replied.

“Once her heart stops beating for good, then I will be free from this prison once and for all,” the Keeper stated. “And then the Seeker will be mine as well.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 4

His head pounded like a tribal drum, a constant reminder of all that had happened as if he really needed one. The sharp pain that pierced his heart with every breath he drew was more than enough. With Kahlan dead, he no longer wanted to live.

Twisting his wrists, he attempted once again to break free from the ropes that held him fast, but it was pointless. He wasn’t going anywhere but where these men led him.

Richard ground his teeth as he scanned the area around him. They had been travelling for hours without stopping, the sun beating down on him all day. His muscles ached, his throat a desert. He wanted to get out of here so he could try to get Kahlan back with him and out of the grasp of the Keeper and Darken Rahl.

The thought of what she was going through right now caused the knife-life pain he constantly felt inside to suddenly twist even deeper into his core. He couldn’t stand the thought of her being at Darken Rahl’s mercy or subjected to whatever torment the Keeper had created to punish her with.

He quickly closed his eyes against the rush of images that flooded his mind, horrifying visions of what she was possibly going through. His body felt weak as bile rose in the back of his throat. It should be him. Why wasn’t it he that had died instead of her?

Her last words of love still echoed in his ears, serving to magnify his anguish. They had been meant to be, created only for one another. He believed that with every fiber of his being. Then why had she been so viciously taken from him like this? How could the good spirits be so cruel as to bring her into his life only to take her away from him?

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

The night that he had spent with her in the woods when she had been torn in two…that was how it was supposed to be. It was meant to be the two of them together and not just as friends but lovers, husband and wife. Even though it had been her fragmented half, he would hold onto that night in his heart until he was able to make love to Kahlan for the first time all over again, the real Kahlan.

He felt the heaviness that pervaded his heart suddenly lessen a little with that future hope of being with her, making love to her the way that he had fantasized about for so very long. He would be finally free to show her, the real her, what he felt for her and what she did to him by just existing.

Kahlan consumed every part of him down to the very marrow of his bones. What he felt for her could not be defined by just love. The word love seemed so superficial, so casual to express what it was that he felt for her, what lived deep within the core of his being.

When he saw her lying on the ground, her life slipping away from him, he felt something inside of him die along with her. It was his heart, his soul. When she went to the Underworld, she had taken part of him with her. And he’d rather she have a piece of him there with her than to ever have it back again.

No one could ever come close to comparing to her or even try to take her place. Every other woman was a faint distant whisper compared to the fierce thunderstorm of emotions that Kahlan had created within him. She had given him confidence when he’d had none, faith when his had run out, courage when his had suddenly faltered. 

Every day she had made him want to be a better man than the one he had been yesterday. And every day he had found himself waking up more in love with her than he had been the day before.

But now she was gone and he was left to pick up the pieces of his life. Only he didn’t want to. What he wanted was to lie down and die, to find her in the Underworld and spend the rest of eternity there by her side.

Richard couldn’t help the slight tug on the corners of his mouth at the thought of Kahlan yelling at him for not wanting to fight for his life or to find the Stone of Tears and stop the Keeper. She would be more than furious with him for wanting to give up and die just to be with her. 

He knew that she’d want him to go on, but how could he without her there by his side like she always had been?

He no longer had her in his life…and no longer had his sword.

XXX

Kneeling by the river, Kahlan dipped her hands into the water, splashing her face with the cool liquid in an attempt to drive away the fog that was clouding her mind. She hung her head, allowing the droplets of water to drip from her face before being swallowed up by the tall grass beneath her that lined the bank.

She closed her eyes against the agonizing thoughts that had been constantly besieging her since losing Richard, of who could possibly want him and what those soldiers were doing to him right now. She felt her magic begin to awaken from its slumber deep in her core as she imagined those brutes hurting him, beating him, taking him spirits knew where. 

They were taking him further and further away from her with each agonizing moment that passed by. She could feel it deep in her bones. She was losing him. 

She immediately splashed more water in her face in an effort to extinguish the hot magical rage that was beginning to expand through her veins. It would do no good to end up in the throes of the Blood Rage especially when she had yet to learn how to control it. Later, she told herself, later she would have revenge on those who had taken him from her.

Kahlan suddenly chuckled softly to herself at the irony of it. How had she even got to be like this? She had always been so self-reliant, so independent, never needing anyone. She had been trained to never allow anyone near her, keeping everyone at arm’s length and not letting anyone in. 

She was never meant to know the true love of a real man, his passionate touch or his kisses. An empty vessel, a soulless husk of a man was all that she had been destined to ever know and eventually care for, but never one that she would truly fall in love with.

But that was until Richard Cypher. 

Since him, her entire life, her whole way of thinking and the way that she had been trained to act had been completely turned upside down and inside out. He had reached into her heart, touching her like no one else ever had or was ever capable of doing. Only Richard had been able to love her, to see past her magic to the true woman that she was inside.

He had never once been scared of her or what she could potentially do to him with her deadly touch. Instead, he had fallen in love with her, offering her a whole new world that she had never known or believed could exist…and she still wasn’t entirely certain that it could exist. He hadn’t run from her, but to her, taking her off guard, making her feel vulnerable and stealing her heart before she had even realized it.

He saw past the impossibility and believed in her, taking a chance on something that was never meant to be and instilling her with a hope for a future with him in the process.

Since Richard had entered her life, she had discovered that she couldn’t live without him, didn’t want to learn how to. She swore on her life that she would find him whatever it took.

Dipping her hands back into the water, Kahlan sighed as she ran her fingers back through her long hair. Fatigue clung to every muscle, but she couldn’t stop, couldn’t give up now. He would never stop until he had found her and she would do no less for him.

\-----------

Zedd absentmindedly rubbed the muzzle of his horse as he watched the Mother Confessor. They had finally been able to force her to stop after reminding her that running the horses to death wasn’t going to help Richard in the long run. It was the only way they could get her to rest for a little while.

He was steadily growing more and more concerned about her as the day wore on. She was not herself by any means. Granted, Richard’s life was in danger and she had just come back from the dead, but this seemed to go beyond even that.

She was restless, agitated and obstinate almost to the point of being unreasonable. Kahlan always had been a stubborn, strong-willed woman, but this was different somehow. He was terribly worried about Richard as well, but they had to keep their heads about this or they weren’t going to be any use to him once they did find him.

It was going to take days before she would be fully recovered from her visit to the Underworld and at this rate even longer if she didn’t slow down. He had healed her wound, but he couldn’t just replenish the blood that she had lost.

“How do you think she’s really doing?”

Zedd turned to find Cara approaching with two rabbits in her hand, her eyes focused on the Mother Confessor. “Not good.”

“I agree,” the Mord’Sith frowned, setting down their dinner. “She’s going to continue to deteriorate if she’s not careful. The breath of life is a means to bring people back from the dead, not a magical cure-all.” 

“I know, but good luck trying to convince her of that,” the Wizard snorted, nodding in Kahlan’s direction. “She’s not going to stop until she finds Richard and by then it could be too late.”

“Isn’t there anything more you can do for her?”

“I’m afraid not,” he regretfully informed her. “She lost a lot of blood. She needs time and rest. I can’t conjure that.”

“Meanwhile, Lord Rahl is running out of time,” Cara stated, kneeling down to skin the rabbits. “We have to find him soon.”

“It’s turning into either saving her life or saving Richard’s.”

“And we both know what Lord Rahl would have to say about that,” the Mord’Sith groused. “He’d be furious with us for risking her life just to save his.”

“And Kahlan insists on risking her life to save Richard’s.”

“They’re impossible,” she huffed with a roll of her green eyes.

“They’re in love,” he wistfully smiled.

“It won’t matter if they’re both dead.”

“Well then, I guess that it’s up to us to keep that from happening.”

“We need to eat so we can be on our way,” Kahlan stated as she approached them.

“Kahlan…” Zedd began, drawing an agitated breath.

“Don’t start, Zedd,” she snapped. “Richard doesn’t have much time. We need to leave as soon as possible. I’ll rest after he is safely back with us.”

“Kahlan, just because I brought you back from the dead doesn’t mean you’re invincible,” Cara informed her. “You still need to heal.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine,” she coolly replied. “It’s Richard’s life that is at stake right now, not mine. Aren’t you two worried about him at all?”

“You know we are,” Cara heatedly replied as she stood to her feet. “Once they get him to the People’s Palace, it will be next to impossible to get him out.”

Kahlan bristled with her words, dread shivering up her spine. She tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword, its magical fury flooding her veins and mingling with the anger that already pounded through her at that moment.

“Alright now, ladies,” Zedd intervened. “We all want Richard back so let’s hurry and eat so we can be on our way. We can still get a couple of leagues in before dark.”

“We have to come up with a plan for getting into the People’s Palace if that’s truly where they’re taking him,” Cara stated as she returned to her task. “Whoever has taken over is not going to just greet us with open arms.”

“Hopefully, we can overtake them before they reach the People’s Palace,” Kahlan replied. “That’s also assuming that’s where the D’Haran soldiers are truly taking him.”

A sudden wave of lightheadedness drifted through her, forcing her to sit down on a nearby rock. She was not about to let on that she wasn’t herself or they would never let her continue to search for Richard. She wasn’t about to let that happen. Richard needed her and she would never let him down no matter the cost to her.

She gently rubbed her abdomen, trying to ease the sharp ache that had suddenly settled there. Her fingers brushed against the torn material that the arrow had caused, reminding her once again how close she had come to losing Richard to the Keeper instead of just the D’Harans.

“I shudder to think of who has taken over the throne of D’Hara,” Zedd admitted, kneeling down on the ground to start a fire. “Maybe it’s the commander of the D’Haran army who has taken over.”

“Or the Mord’Sith,” Cara offered.

Zedd sat back on his heels, pondering her suggestion. “If so, that could possibly be to our advantage.”

“How so?” Cara asked, her eyes narrowing. “They beat me and left me for dead. They’re not going to just welcome me back into the fold.”

“Or it could turn out to be our worst nightmare,” Kahlan softly said, mesmerized by the dancing flames of the fire.

Her eyelids felt so heavy as she watched the orange flames begin to devour the wood, sparks flickering as the logs popped and cracked from the building heat. She wondered where Richard was right at that moment, if he was thinking of her. Was he alright? Even still alive?

A light hand on her arm suddenly brought her back to Zedd and Cara. “We’ll find him no matter who has taken him, Kahlan,” Zedd gently reassured her.

“He needs us now and we’re just wasting time by stopping to eat,” she growled, jumping to her feet. She could feel their eyes on her, stunned by her sudden outburst. She was ashamed of her heated reaction. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. “I’m sorry,” she softly murmured, rubbing her forehead. “I’m going to go fill the water skins so we’ll be ready to leave after we eat.”

Cara and Zedd watched her as she made her way back to the river. “I’m beginning to wonder if something more happened to her in the Underworld, something that she either doesn’t want to tell us or doesn’t remember,” Zedd wondered out loud, stroking his chin in thought.

“Great,” Cara huffed in agitation. “Just what we need; more trouble.”

“Whatever is going on now, we’re going to have to be prepared for anything,” he frowned.

XXX

Pausing outside of the room, General Egremont straightened his jacket before entering; lifting his sword a little ways out of his scabbard before allowing it to drop safely back into place. He was still having a difficult time adjusting to the new ruler of D’Hara, a sense of apprehension his constant companion now.

He had thought that no one could compare to Darken Rahl and the iron-fisted domination with which he had ruled the territory. He had been unfortunately proven wrong.

He could feel his hands growing clammy as he turned the handle and warily pushed the door open. He was hoping to find him otherwise occupied so that he could avoid having to talk to him longer than necessary. He felt his heart sink at the sight of him standing all alone on the far side of the room.

His hands were clasped behind his back, his head tilted as he studied an elaborate tapestry hanging on the wall depicting D’Hara’s elaborate military history. He didn’t even flinch or turn at the creaking of the door, appearing to not even notice that someone had entered the room as he continued to examine the wall-hanging.

Egremont came to a stop in the center of the massive room, clasping his own hands behind his back as he mirrored the stance of his new leader. The only sound was the sputtering of the fire in the large fireplace before him. As he waited, he allowed his curious gaze to quickly scan his surroundings.

Since the new leader had moved in and taken over, he had made several changes to the Palace itself, renovating rooms and removing all of Darken Rahl’s possessions. He had been more than anxious to change it and make it his own.

He took in the elaborate artwork that now ordained the massive room, the ornate statues and paintings that had been brought in from regions far and near as well as some from the Old World. How he had been able to collect such items, many of them rare and some thought to have been lost over time was beyond his imagination. 

And yet, here they were, staring back at him through eyes that would never be able to betray their secrets or reveal where they had been hiding all this time.

The General felt his heart steadily beating a little harder, a little faster the longer that he waited for his leader to acknowledge his presence. Sweat began to moisten his brow as he nervously stood, wondering if he should say something, maybe clear his throat to alert him to the fact that he was no longer alone.

Time continued to slip by, his stomach swimming with nervous flutters. He had to have heard him enter. Hadn’t he heard? That old door creaked and groaned with every movement on its aged hinges. There was no way that his entrance could not have been noticed.

“Any word?”

Egremont straightened his shoulders, lifting his head before responding. “No, I’m afraid nothing yet, my lord.”

“I want to be notified as soon as they arrive,” he ordered, not even bothering to turn around to face him.

“Yes, my lord,” Egremont bowed his head, awaiting further orders. “Will that be all?”

“For now,” he murmured, dismissing him a wave of his hand.

Egremont quickly exited, releasing a ragged breath of relief as he closed the door behind him. He had escaped that briefing unscathed. Others he knew had not been so lucky. Making his way down the corridor, he was already dreading the next scheduled briefing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 5

“I think we’re gaining on them,” Cara announced as she straightened up, placing her hands on her hips. “These tracks are fresh.”

“But can we be certain that they belong to them?” Zedd wondered.

Kahlan sat up a little straighter in her saddle, feeling a renewed sense of strength. “It’s them…it’s Richard.”

The confidence in her voice suddenly reflected in her face. They had been following them for two days now, hoping to overtake the soldiers who had captured Richard. Now they were finally closing in on them and that much closer to getting Richard back.

“It’s them,” Cara firmly agreed as she remounted her horse. “They should be just over that ridge there.”

Kahlan immediately spurred her horse on, desperate to get to Richard. She felt so empty, so incomplete when he wasn’t with her, near her. She knew, though, that once they got him back, they were still going to have to deal with whomever it was that was after him.

Coming up over the ridge, she felt her heart skip a beat at the sight that lay before her. There on the grassy plain that spread out below them was at least two dozen D’Haran soldiers or more. They were stopped along a river that split the plain in two, milling about as they rested their horses. 

She held her breath as she frantically searched for Richard among the men, needing to catch even a brief glimpse of him, but from this distance it was near impossible to distinguish him from the rest of the men. They all looked like tiny ants roaming the rolling landscape.

“We have to get down there…now,” Kahlan heatedly exclaimed, already scanning for the quickest way to get down there to him.

“We’ll have to be careful,” Zedd cautioned. “If they spot us too soon, they could get head start on us again before we even reach the plains.”

“It’s a chance we have to take,” Kahlan flatly stated as she turned her horse to make the steep descent. “We can’t lose him again.”

Urging her horse on, the Mother Confessor leaned into the mare’s withers, molding herself to the animal. This was her chance to get him back, to rescue him from those animals who had taken him from her. They had finally gained on them and she wasn’t about to lose him again. 

Zedd and Cara quickly followed her, equally determined to rescue Richard despite the dangerous slope that stood in their way of getting to him. The D’Harans appeared to be completely oblivious to their sudden appearance as they continued to water and rest their horses.

Small stones and bits of dirt broke loose beneath the horses’ hooves, creating tiny avalanches down the steep slope. Kahlan could feel her horse’s hooves slide in the dirt only to quickly regain its footing again. It felt as though her heart was in her throat, pounding with anticipation of getting Richard back as she drew closer, but not nearly close enough yet.

She tightened her grasp on the reins, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands with the death-grip she held on them. The muscles of her legs were drawn tight as she held on to the only thing keeping her from falling head first down the side of the mountain. 

Her piercing blue eyes were locked on the men in the grassy valley spread out before her, anticipating that critical moment when they would be noticed. Just a little bit more, she kept telling herself; a little bit further.

She didn’t even pay attention to whether Zedd and Cara had followed her or how close behind her they were. At that moment, no one mattered to her but the man who had been ripped out of her life. No one would keep her from getting him back. 

XXX

Richard sat along the edge of the river, his hands still tightly bound before him. His legs ached from being tied to the stirrups for so long. They had thankfully decided to take a break to water the horses, allowing him a brief reprieve from the frozen position he’d been tied into.

His head was a constant hammering that made it difficult to hold it up. He wanted to wade into the water and wash away the dirt and blood, to remove the reminders that his Kahlan was gone. He wanted to drown himself in the racing rapids before him, to dip beneath the surface and allow the deluge to pull him towards the bottom and hold him under. Then, he could just drift off into an eternal sleep that would take him to her. It was the only way that he would ever be able to see her again.

He didn’t even know if he cared if he broke free from his captors or not. Nothing seemed to matter to him now. The will to live, to survive, to put one foot before the other was rapidly slipping away the longer he went on without her, hope drowning in his grief.

When Kahlan died, a piece of his soul died with her and he knew that he’d never get it back. He didn’t want it back if he couldn’t have her. 

But something else inside of him had died too, something that he couldn’t quite put a finger on or put a name to. It was some place deep inside of him where only she had ever been able to touch, a place so secret, so personal that no one else would ever be able to find it or reach it but her.

And now all he wanted to do was die, end his life so he could join her in the Underworld. It was the only thing that brought him any measure of peace or temporarily eased the unbearable ache in his chest where his heart had once been.

He felt a tear suddenly break free, slowly trickling down his cheek. He drew a deep shuddering breath in a vain attempt to rein in his anguish, but only she could heal the inky gnawing void deep inside of him that her death had created.

“Still thinking about your Confessor?” the soldier with the scar scoffed at him. “You are in bad shape, Seeker.”

Richard ignored him, choosing rather to stare straight ahead of him. He clenched his jaw as his anger began to awaken once more in his core, his fingers aching to feel the cool steel of his sword gripped tightly in his hands. He would take down every last one of these filthy beasts who had taken her from him.

“We did you a favor, Seeker,” the man continued on, crouching down beside him. “You had no future with her, not without losing your soul. She was the forbidden fruit…but ah, what a beautiful fruit she was. Wouldn’t have minded having a taste of that myself.”

Richard swallowed past the painful knot that had stuck in his throat, a thick ball of emotions that had taken up permanent residence there making it difficult to breathe as his anger morphed into fury. He could feel the man’s eyes boring into him, silently goading him into responding but he refused to succumb to it. No one could possibly begin to understand, to know the overpowering pain of loss that continuously pulsated through every fiber of his being.

The soldier smirked as he watched the Seeker, knowing that he was beginning to get to him. “Tell me,” he began, speaking in a quiet confidential tone. “What was she like? Did you ever sneak a peek of her when she didn’t know you were there? Watch her while she was bathing or dressing? I imagine she looked like a goddess.

“I bet beneath that dark leather was an animal waiting to be unleashed. I would have loved to have a chance to tame her, to teach her what it was like to be with a real man. I would have made her scream over and over again for me. She wouldn’t have been able to move for days after I had my way with her.”

The Seeker began to tremble the longer the soldier spoke, the heat of his rage over-flowing from his core and flooding his body in a white-hot rush. His nostrils flared, his muscles contracting with a deep-seated need to rip this man’s tongue from his mouth. No one talked about Kahlan in such a filthy way.

“What do you think the Keeper’s doing with her right now? I bet Darken Rahl is showing her a very good time in the Underworld,” the soldier goaded him.

With a sudden growl, Richard turned, lunging at the burly man and knocking him flat on his back. With his bound hands, he began beating the soldier as his rage and anguish boiled over. He wanted revenge, wanted these men to die for what they had done by taking his very life from him.

Momentarily stunned by the attack, the soldier quickly recovered, rolling them over and pinning the Seeker to the ground. His large fists began beating him in return, angry and humiliated for having been taken off guard like that.

“I wish your Confessor was here now. I’d show you exactly what I’d do with her!” he shouted as his meaty fist connected with Richard’s jaw and knocking him senseless.

“Ingram!”

The roar of his commander’s voice caused him to halt in mid-swing, forcing him to sit back on his heels. Ingram was breathing heavily, his broad face red, his battle scar practically pulsating with his hatred as he sneered down at the bloody Seeker below him. 

“Get off him!”

“Aye, sir,” he sneered as he stood to his feet, hauling Richard up by his shirt.

Barely conscious, Richard could feel his body being lifted from the ground. It felt as though he were floating as he was carried to his horse. He could only hope that death was a near reality, but deep down he knew that it was still lingering just beyond his desperate reach as they tied him to his saddle once more.

His head lolled to the side, slumping in the saddle as he fought to remain upright, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. His cracked his eyelids only to find his world spinning wildly before him as he spit blood out of his mouth. He felt ill, his stomach wanting to reject whatever it was that he had last eaten, but he fought it back down. He wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction.

“I’m not through with you yet, Seeker,” Ingram spat at him as he roughly pulled on the ropes.

“I don’t care what you do to me, scar face,” Richard bitterly muttered back. “You can’t hurt me. I’m already dead.”

“We’ll just see about that,” the soldier sneered.

“Ingram!” the Commander yelled at him. “Let’s go!”

“Aye, sir,” he grumbled as he made his way to his horse.

Sitting on his steed, Commander Caid scanned the horizon, more than ready to be on their way. He wanted to keep moving, to keep ahead of the Wizard and the Mord’Sith who would no doubt be tracking them down in order to rescue the Seeker. 

Not to mention, he had someone impatiently waiting for their return and he was not about to disappoint him. He wanted to make a good impression, hopefully continue to rise within the ranks. He also feared the consequences of failing their new leader.

He was just going to have to make sure to keep Ingram away from the Seeker or he would have no prize to take back to his new lord.

“Commander!”

Caid turned to find one of his men racing towards him. “What is it?”

“Three horses coming from over the ridge…over there…” he pointed, breathless.

He immediately turned to look behind him to find three riders on horseback quickly descending towards the plains. They were still quite a ways off, but they would be upon them soon if they didn’t move now. He didn’t know who the third person was, but he was not about to stick around to find out. He knew how powerful the Wizard was and he was not about to press his luck again.

“Stop them,” he ordered him. “Do whatever necessary to keep them from catching up to us.”

“Aye, Commander,” the young man saluted before gathering some men to help him.

“Move out!” Caid shouted, directing them to move forward.

Still fighting against the powerful pull of unconsciousness, Richard was jerked forward by the sudden movement of his horse. He fought to open his eyes to see what was going on, but it was too difficult. He just wanted to lie down and sleep, to forget for even just a little while the heartache that swallowed him whole.

XXX

“Richard!” Kahlan cried his name as she watched the soldiers quickly mount their horses.

They had spotted them coming and now were taking him away from her again. They weren’t close enough for Richard to hear, but she had to try to let him know that she was there, that she hadn’t given up. She had to give him hope to hang onto. She would follow them to the end of the earth if necessary to rescue him.

She could see some of the soldiers swarming around the bridge that connected both sides of the plains as the rest of the D’Harans took off towards the trees that lined the distant horizon. She knew if they reached the forest, they would have a difficult time tracking them again.

Reaching the grassy plains, Kahlan dug the heels of her boots into the flanks of her horse, yelling at the mare to spur her on. She leaned even lower into the withers, allowing the wind to glide over her as she attempted to become one with her horse. She sent up a silent prayer to the spirits, pleading with them to allow her to reach her Seeker in time.

Her every muscle was tensed and ready for battle, her fear and anger energizing her and providing her the strength that she needed to keep moving. She knew that Zedd and Cara were right, that her life was in danger if she did not rest, but she couldn’t now. Not when Richard’s life was at stake. She’d gladly risk her own again and again for him. Without him, life was just a bleak, dark existence that she didn’t want to be a part of. 

She cast a quick glance over her shoulder to find Zedd and Cara just reaching the safety of the plains. They were still a ways away from them and quickly running out of time. Looking forward once more, Kahlan screamed Richard’s name again, desperate for him to hear her voice as she watched the remaining soldiers who had been lingering at the bridge suddenly mount their horses and take off after their comrades.

The soldiers quickly became swallowed up by the growing darkness that was quickly blanketing the area, her hope beginning to disappear with them. Tears burned in her eyes and in her throat as she urged her horse on faster.

The river grew more threatening the closer she drew, the sounds of the rushing water over the rapids filling her ears and fighting to be heard above the hammering of her heart. Approaching the bridge, she could feel her insides tremble with the weight of her grief, the ConDar threatening to rise like a phoenix from its deep slumber.

If only she had been able to call upon it when the battle had first broken out, then she would have been able to confess every last one of them, keeping her Seeker safe.

Her horse came to a sudden stop, rearing back on its hind legs and nearly throwing her off its back as they reached the bridge. The water was assaulting the already sagging bridge, pounding against the wood that was quickly becoming unstable with every passing moment.

Kahlan attempted to force her horse to cross, but it refused, whinnying loudly and stamping its hooves in protest. She quickly dismounted, running to the edge of it, testing it with her boot. It creaked loudly as she added more weight, her other foot following.

She could barely hear the sound of her name being carried on the wind over the deafening rapids that surrounded her as she carefully tested the next plank. Ignoring them, she gripped the rope railing to steady her, her heart thundering wildly in her chest. 

Water sprayed all around her, crashing into the bridge that was quickly sinking. She couldn’t waste any more time by testing each board. She was going to have to risk it. She had no idea what she would do once she got across, but she couldn’t worry about that now. All that mattered was saving Richard.

Taking a deep breath, she took off across the bridge, water splashing her as it collided with the only way across the river.

“Kahlan!” Cara shouted at her as she pulled her horse to a stop at the edge of the river.

The Mord’Sith quickly leapt from her horse, followed closely by Zedd. “Kahlan, stop!” Zedd yelled at her. “It’s too dangerous!”

With a loud snap, the ropes suddenly broke free from the constant pounding of the water, the wooden supports giving way underneath. The bridge shook and seized in response, causing Kahlan to lose her balance. She fell hard, banging her head on the wooden plank and temporarily dazing her. She grabbed hold of the bridge as it began to break apart at the far end.

“Kahlan! Run!” Cara ordered her, standing at the edge of the bridge.

Kahlan dazedly looked around her, still desperately searching for a way to get across. The forceful snapping and cracking of the wood told her that it was futile. The last of her hopes were swiftly washing away as the bridge broke apart.

“NO!” Kahlan screamed, water running down her face as she watched the other end of the bridge being swept away in the violent rapids.

Slamming her fist into the board, she leapt to her feet, running towards the bank of the river where Zedd and Cara anxiously waited for her. The bridge pulled further down into the water, threatening to take her with it. Water lapped at her boots as she ran, causing her to slip and stumble. With a deafening crack, the bridge violently jerked further down the river as it began to pull from the bank of the river.

“Jump, Kahlan!” Cara frantically screamed at her, reaching out her hand towards her as far as she could without falling in with her.

Kahlan reached out towards the Mord’Sith, her muscles burning from the sustained strain on them. Water splashed in her face and mouth, making it difficult to see or breathe. She could feel her legs being pulled into the water as she tightened her grip on what was left of the rope railing. 

Zedd reached out his hand, using his magic to stabilize what was left of the bridge and buying the Mother Confessor a little more time as she pulled herself up. With a final leap, she tumbled into the soft grassy bank, panting and shaking.

“Kahlan, are you alright?” Cara asked, racing to her side. “What in the name of the Creator were you thinking?”

Kahlan pulled her drenched hair out of her face as she fought to catch her breath. “Richard…they still have Richard…” she panted heavily.

Kneeling beside her, Cara placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her trembling form. They had just come very close to losing her again for a second time in two days.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 6

She sat huddled close by the warm fire, soaked to the bone, her green blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She was completely absorbed in the shape-shifting orange glow before her, her mind a raging storm of conflicting thoughts and emotions that relentlessly tormented her. The ache that pervaded her heart was becoming too much to withstand, the heaviness of it dragging her down into its murky depths.

She had been so close to saving him, to having him back with her where he was meant to be. She felt so lost without him. She knew that she shouldn’t feel this way, hated herself for falling so in love with him that the very significant, very dangerous line between Confessor and Seeker had become so completely blurred along the way. 

After the Stone of Tears was found and the rift was sealed, Kahlan knew that she was going to have to let him go and take a mate in order to continue the lineage of Confessors before the line died out with her. 

It made her feel as though the weight of the world as well as its entire future was all resting on her shoulders. She couldn’t let anyone down especially all the Confessors that had gone on before her. It was her duty, her responsibility to keep the line of very special women alive, to ensure that a Confessor would always be there to rule the Midlands. 

Magda Searus had been the first Confessor ever created and Kahlan was determined not to be the last. 

She bit her lip to keep the forming tears at bay. She had so foolishly allowed herself to believe in a future with Richard, one that included true intimacy with him as well as daughters and a happily-ever-after. She had known deep down that that fantasy was just that…a fantasy.

She never should have encouraged him, allowed the love that had been rapidly growing and expanding between them. She should have done so many things differently.

And yet, how could she not?

When she looked into those warm brown eyes shining with hope and such deep love that it took her breath away…she couldn’t help but want to believe. He made her feel alive in a way that she had never known. She’d never felt this way about anyone before, didn’t know love could feel like this. When she was near him, all the fears and uncertainties of the future dissolved away. There was just she and him and nothing else mattered.

And now it wasn’t just her Seeker that was missing, but her heart as well.

Kahlan pulled a lock of wet hair behind her ear, resting her chin on her drawn-up knees. They were no closer to him now then they had been this morning. They still needed to find a way to cross the river, backtrack in order to pick up Richard’s trail again before they could ever hope to catch up to him. They could be Creator only knew where by the time they found their trail again and by then it could be too late. Time was quickly slipping away.

Shifting her legs, she softly groaned at the terrible ache and stiffness that had invaded her entire body. The incident on the bridge had left her bruised and banged up, but she would have done it all over again if she thought for even one second that she could’ve gotten across. She rubbed the back of her head, her fingers gingerly brushing across the knot that had formed there causing her to wince.

“How are you feeling, my dear?”

Kahlan turned to see Zedd approaching from the other side of their campsite, a concerned expression gracing his wrinkled face. He had severely reprimanded her for her foolish attempt at getting across the bridge as he had checked for any bodily damage. Except for several bruises and a pretty nasty bump on her head, she had escaped any real harm.

“I’m fine,” she softly replied, her voice far from convincing as she turned her attention back to the fire.

She had sat numbly as he had scolded her, tuning out his voice as she relived the horror of watching Richard being taken away from them over and over again in her mind’s eye. Time was rapidly running out. They had to get to him before it was too late.

She shuddered to think of what would happen to him once they got him behind the walls of the heavily guarded People’s Palace. Those loyal to Darken Rahl still remained there. There were also many other enemies of theirs that wanted Richard dead and would most definitely see to it if given the opportunity. They would no doubt have placed their loyalties with the new leader of D’Hara now. 

Zedd settled down on the ground beside her, placing an arm around her shoulders and gently pulling her into him. “You, dear one, are far from fine, I’m afraid,” he softly told her as he held her, resting his chin on top of her head.

Kahlan sat nestled in his grandfatherly embrace, her entire body tense with frustration and anger. She was losing the person that she had sworn to protect and give her life for, the one who had trusted her to shield him from danger, but she had failed him. And because she had failed him, he was now a prisoner in the hands of the enemy that wanted nothing more than to destroy them all.

She felt a tear escape, slowly sliding down her face and following the curve of her cheek. She watched as a fountain of sparks suddenly shot skyward with a loud pop of the firewood. She was the Mother Confessor, supposed to be strong and always in control of her emotions and her heart at all times. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of falling apart right now, not when Richard was in such terrible danger.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments longer before Kahlan suddenly pulled away from him, wiping the tear from cheek in embarrassment. “Where’s Cara?”

“Tending to the horses,” he informed her, poking the fire with a stick.

“We should be ready to leave at daybreak,” she told him. “We have to find a way across that river.”

“Kahlan, you can’t keep going like this,” he gently said. “You’re going to kill yourself.”

“What do you expect me to do?” she snapped. “Just give up on Richard? Let whoever has taken him just have him?”

“No, of course not,” he retorted. “We want Richard back as much as you do, Kahlan, but throwing yourself into dangerous situations isn’t going to save him either. We need you alive too. We need you with us.”

Kahlan stiffened with his words, her gaze locked on the fire. “I told you I’m fine,” she murmured, avoiding making eye contact with him.

“Are you really?” he pressed. 

“Yes,” she insisted.

“Did something happen to you in the Underworld, something that you’re not telling us?”

Kahlan sat frozen, afraid to move at that moment. She couldn’t let him see the sudden fear that filtered through her with his words, seizing her heart in a deadly stranglehold. “No, nothing,” she replied with a clipped tone, dismissing his question.

“If something happened to you, we need to know,” he pushed a little further as he watched her. “Did you see Darken Rahl? Did he hurt you?”

“No, I never saw him,” she adamantly shook her head, pulling her blanket even tighter around her shoulders. “I already told you everything.”

Zedd studied her for a long moment, knowing that she was holding something more back from him. Whatever it was, she was definitely not about to share it with him…at least not yet. He hoped with time that she would talk to him, but he was beginning to fear that time was running out for some reason.

“Kahlan…” he finally tried again.

“I’m going to bed,” she abruptly said, standing to her feet and making her way to her bedroll.

He studied her as she laid down, curling herself up into a ball beneath her green blanket. It was as if she was trying to disappear, trying to become so small that no one could ever find her. Seeing her suffering like this made his heart heavy. He wanted so badly to take away her pain, to have Richard safely back with them, but time was rapidly slipping away from them.

XXX

He was jerked awake by the feel of hands roughly grabbing at him. He could feel the ropes loosening their tight grip on his ankles before being removed from his horse. He didn’t bother struggling or attempt to fight against the soldiers as they dragged him to spirits knew where. He neither cared nor wanted to know. It no longer mattered. Nothing did.

His aching body and pounding head were just constant reminders that he was still alive, part of a life he no longer wanted to be a part of. As much as he hated the man, he knew if he continued to play Ingram right, he would soon awaken in the Underworld with his Kahlan.

He could feel his body being forcefully shoved up against a tree, a large hand pressed against his chest as another tied him. Richard ran his tongue along his dry cracked lips only to taste the metallic sting of blood. He could only imagine the bloody mess that he was now after his fight with Ingram.

Even though he had been on the losing end of it, it had felt good getting a few punches in before the hulk of a man had gotten the upper hand on him. He had known that he wasn’t going to last long when he had lunged for him, but he hadn’t cared. 

Richard couldn’t stand to hear him talk about Kahlan in such a perverse way any longer. The thought of that man anywhere near her, touching her and hurting her in that way made him ill. It had made him see red with a blinding rage and he hadn’t even had his sword in his hands.

Kahlan was everything that was good and pure in this world, the personification of grace and beauty. She had made the sun shine brighter, the sky bluer, the grass greener. She had breathed new life into his dim world, opening his eyes and his heart to what love truly could be.

But now she was gone, leaving his world so very dark and desolate.

“Here, Seeker, drink this.”

Richard cracked his eyes open to find the Commander kneeling before him, holding a water skin in his hands. He opened his mouth, greedily swallowing down the cool liquid as Caid held it for him. Water dribbled down his chin and wet his shirt, but it couldn’t come close to washing away Kahlan’s blood that still stained it.

“Don’t worry about Ingram,” Caid told him. “I’ve ordered him to stay away from you.”

“I’m not worried about anything,” Richard flatly stated.

Caid studied him for a long moment, taking in the bruises and bloody cuts that marred his face, the deadness that filled the brown eyes staring back at him. “You should,” he finally replied with a frown.

“Why?” Richard scowled. “All that I love is dead. There’s nothing left in this world for me but pain and anguish.”

“Because soon you’re going to meet someone who will make you care what is about to happen to you, make you probably wish that you were in the Underworld,” the Commander informed him.

“No one or nothing can cause me any more pain than I already have eating away inside of me,” the Seeker softly replied, tilting his head back against the trunk of the tree he was tied to and gazing up at the dark sky overhead.

“I know you think that now, but you haven’t met him yet.”

“I don’t care,” Richard murmured, closing his eyes. “Nothing matters anymore.”

“Not even the Stone of Tears?”

Richard bristled with the man’s words, suddenly being reminded of his forgotten quest. Guilt began to ooze from his soul, but the rage and anguish that consumed him quickly began to quell it, keeping it at bay. He had given everything to keep others safe from the grip of evil, saving innocent lives at the risk of his own as well as Kahlan’s. And because of that, he had lost the only thing that he had ever loved, the only thing that he had ever wanted in this life.

“There are others who are more than capable of stopping the Keeper,” he finally bit out, not even bothering to open his eyes. “They can name a new Seeker.”

The Commander sat back on his heels, shocked by the Seeker’s words. He had always heard rumors of the man’s great compassion, his love for life, his immense courage and determination in the face of danger and insurmountable odds. He would never surrender; never give up on stopping the Keeper.

“You’ve given up?” Caid exclaimed in surprise. “I’m not so sure that we’ve captured the Seeker. The true Seeker would never give up his quest, never turn his back on a world on the brink of being lost to the Keeper.”

“This Seeker died the day he lost his Confessor,” he spat out, leveling a heated glare at the soldier.

The man internally shuddered as he stared at Richard in stunned silence. This was no longer the man who had defeated Darken Rahl, who had saved countless lives with his sacrificial desire to preserve what was right. This was a man filled with hatred and fury, who had given up on everything that he had always believed in. This was a man who had lost his faith.

“Why do you care anyway?” Richard continued, his voice devoid of all emotion. “Isn’t this what you wanted? Kill the Mother Confessor, defeat the Seeker? Have free reign over the territories without worrying about us trying to stop you?”

“Yes…” he murmured. 

The Commander slowly stood to his feet as Richard closed his eyes once more, a dark glower a permanent mask upon the Seeker’s face. He walked away, leaving Richard to his anguish-filled thoughts. He had never seen a man become so bitter, so angry like this before. Even though he was his enemy, Caid had to admit that it was disheartening in a way to witness.

This was the mighty Seeker, the savior of the territories and all creation. To see him reduced to this by the death of his beloved Confessor was bewildering to say the least. The Commander didn’t know why it should affect him so to see Richard Cypher like this. 

This was his adversary, the one that had killed his Lord Rahl, who had been a constant thorn in their side. This was the man who had killed countless friends and comrades over the last year and a half. This was the man that he had been sent to capture and bring back to his new master. He should be overjoyed that they had been able to seize him, thrilled that he could fulfill his mission and please his master.

Then why did it suddenly feel like such a hollow victory?

XXX

The feel of cold fingers lightly brushing along the side of her face awakened her senses and stirred her from her sleep. Sitting up, she slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself no longer in the woods with Zedd and Cara. She was lying on the ground, a thick emerald green haze clouding the air, the rank stench of death burning her nostrils.

She immediately shrank back in horror. 

She was back. She was in the Underworld.

Kahlan swiftly scooted back against a rocky wall, keeping the undulating sea of twisting moaning bodies before her. She drew her knees up to her chest, feeling so vulnerable and exposed as her wide-eyed gaze frantically scanned the area in search of him.

He was close. She could feel his unseen dark presence tickling her skin and causing shivers to race through her. Her breath came in halting gasps as she waited for him to come to her, knowing that he would. He had promised her as much and it was one promise she knew that he would keep.

She could still hear his icy voice in her ears, the promise that he had pledged to her. She heard it every time she closed her eyes. It followed her even into her dreams, haunting her and reminding her of what was about to come.

Had she run out of time? Would she never see Richard again?

She could feel her bottom lip begin to quiver with the thought as tears pooled in her eyes. This couldn’t be happening; not now, not when Richard needed her the most. Her biggest fear had been confessing him, the next failing him. And she had failed him. She might as well have handed him over to the D’Harans herself.

If only she had been paying better attention. If only she hadn’t allowed Richard to be distracted by her sullen mood over Dennee’s birthday. All the ‘if only’ thoughts paraded through her mind, one by one scoffing at her with what she should have done, but hadn’t.

“The great Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell.”

Kahlan immediately began looking around her for the source of the voice, but there wasn’t one. It was as if he was right here beside her whispering in her ear and yet a thousand leagues away. Her muscles instinctively tightened, her body balling up in response to the intrusion. She was naked and alone, but she still had her wits about her. She would figure a way out of this one way or another.

“Oh don’t worry, Confessor,” the Keeper said. “You’re not here yet.”

“What do you mean?” she demanded to know, balling up her fists as she defiantly leapt to her feet. She was not about to show any signs of weakness to this vile creature.

“I’m only visiting you in your sleep.”

“How is that possible?” she sneered. “You have no power in the world of the living.”

“Look inside, Kahlan,” he replied. “The answer lies within you.”

The sound of his laughter rang in her ears as she sat bolt upright with a gasp. She quickly placed a hand on her heaving chest in an attempt to calm herself. She swiftly scanned the area only to find herself alone with Zedd and Cara both asleep on the other side of the campfire.

She sat forward, running her hands through her long hair as she attempted to shove aside the sense of evilness that clung to her like a second skin. She didn’t know for certain what was going on or why the Keeper was following her in her sleep, but she couldn’t worry about that right now.

Richard’s life was in danger. There was no greater importance to her than that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 7

Richard woke in a cold sweat, his heart thumping wildly in his chest like the hooves of a runaway stallion. His sleep had been filled with nothing but her, images and memories tugging and pulling on every part of him. Visions of her death played over and over again, her final words of love for him haunting his ears. It only deepened his torment and suffering, the living nightmare that had so suddenly become his life…or what was left of it.

Before, he had always been so anxious for night to come, knowing that she would always follow him there. She constantly filled his sleep with nothing but passion and dreams so erotic he never wanted to wake except to fully consummate in life what happened in slumber.

But now with Kahlan gone, there was no life for him…at least not one that he wanted to be a part of.

He pressed the back of his head against the trunk of the tree that held him hostage, squeezing his eyes shut against the unforgettable images that had continually haunted his sleep since the very moment that he had lost her. He drew a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, trying to pull himself from that deadly precipice that he kept teetering so dangerously close to.

She was a part of him, always would be. He believed in his heart that on some level Kahlan had somehow always been a part of him in some small way before he had even met her, even knew that she existed. It wasn’t until they had finally met that fateful day in the Hartland woods; the moment that warm brown eyes had locked on electric blue that his soul had been suddenly, finally filled and made whole.

He hadn’t realized how empty and incomplete he had been until she had appeared, running right through his woods and straight into his heart. And now she had just left him, alone and so dead inside. He could she do that to him? How could she just leave him like this?

She should have fought harder to stay with him. Why hadn’t she fought harder? She had sworn to protect him, to stay by his side and she had let him down. By dying, she had single-handedly shattered his life. 

She had caused him to fall in love with her, claiming his heart only to have her rip it right out of his chest when she had breathed her last breath, leaving a gaping hole behind. 

He felt his anger shifting, growing and cascading through him, swallowing his Confessor up in its pounding waves. He knew in some small distant place deep inside of him that he shouldn’t be angry with her, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to listen to that hushed voice stirring inside of him telling him that it wasn’t her fault. 

He wanted her to know, to feel how deeply she had hurt him by leaving him like that, how she had devastated him by becoming his all and leaving him with nothing. The pain he felt was all-consuming, searing through him like a branding iron.

Kahlan had left him all alone to go on without her. How was he supposed to find the Stone of Tears, seal the rift and defeat the Keeper without her by his side?

He was furious with her for leaving him, resented the fact that she was forcing him to go on without her when all he had ever wanted was to spend forever with her and her alone. He could feel a hot tear slowly rolling down his cheek but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered to him.

He didn’t care if he never opened his eyes again. In fact, he welcomed it. The sun would never shine in his world again without her. Death was the only way to end the anguish that was slowly eating him alive. 

The rage he felt simmering inside of him, his anger with Kahlan and the D’Harans who had killed her helped lessen the never-ending pain inside of him, making it a little easier to breathe if only but for a brief flickering moment.

“Crying over your whore of a girlfriend?”

Richard gritted his teeth at the sound of scar face’s voice. There was nothing he could do bound to the tree like he was. He knew he would eventually have his revenge and when he did, it would be the sweetest when this man’s blood was on his hands. He would enjoy extracting his revenge on this monster most of all.

“Not so tough when you’re tied to a tree, are you Seeker?”

He could feel the warm stench of the man’s breath blasting against his face, but he still refused to open his eyes. It would only make him that much more desperate to rip the man’s heart out with his bare hands. And at this point, that wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon unless he found a way to break free from the ropes that held him fast.

“I’m talking to you!” Ingram snarled at him, his anger exploding inside of him as he grabbed hold of the front of the Seeker’s shirt.

“Ingram!” Commander Caid shouted at him. “I told you to stay away from him. I will not tell you again. Do you hear me?”

“Aye, Commander,” Ingram grumbled under his breath as he backed away from Richard, his heated glare locked on the Seeker.

“Good boy, Ingram,” Richard smirked, peering at the man through slitted eyes.

Ingram growled at him, his hands balling into fists, the scare on his face practically pulsating with his fury. It was all he could to restrain himself at that moment as he glowered down at the Seeker. He was more than anxious to have another shot at him, but he knew that if his Commander found out, he’d be a dead man. He would not want to have to answer to their new leader for having been the one to end the Seeker’s existence when he was wanted alive. 

“I’m not through with you yet, Seeker,” the soldier sneered as he forced himself to walk away.

Richard didn’t care about Ingram’s idle threats. He knew that the soldier couldn’t do very much to him. Someone important wanted him alive and in one piece for a reason, but he didn’t know who or why. 

If Ingram did manage to get a hold of him and killed him, then he would be in the Underworld with Kahlan. As furious as he was with her at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to see her, to hold her. He sucked in a shuddering breath with the thought.

“We should be at the People’s Palace by tomorrow,” Caid told the Seeker as he knelt down before him. “I will deliver you safely to your new master. I give you my word.”

“I don’t care if I live or die,” Richard murmured, closing his eyes again. “It should have been me. I was the one who was supposed to die, not her.”

The Commander stared at him for a long moment. “If truth be told, you weren’t supposed to die. We were ordered to bring you back to the People’s Palace alive. Ingram wasn’t supposed to have shot that arrow at you.”

“What do you mean?” he bit out, his tone full of venom.

“Ingram shot at you against my orders,” the Commander confessed.

“If he hadn’t shot at me, then Kahlan wouldn’t have tried to save my life,” he yelled. “She never would have jumped into the path of that arrow, would never have died.”

“You can’t dwell on that now,” Caid replied. “What is done is done. There is no going back, no changing the past.”

“No, but I can join her in the Underworld.”

“I don’t understand you, Seeker,” the man said with an incredulous shake of his head. “I thought you wanted to escape so you could try to save your beloved Confessor from the Underworld, not die so you could join her there.”

“She’s been dead for three days now,” he numbly replied. “There’s no hope of getting her back now.”

Caid slowly shook his head in wonder as he stood to his feet. The Seeker had given up. He’d lost all hope, lost his faith. With nothing to live for, he was just a walking dead man.

“Sir…sir!”

Caid turned to find his scout running towards him, concern etched in his young face. “What is it?” he asked as he quickly moved out of earshot from the Seeker.

“It’s them, sir,” the man grimly reported. “They’re gaining on us again. They’re coming to rescue the Seeker.”

“I thought I told you to stop them,” the Commander growled. “I want them taken care of for good this time. The Wizard and Mord’Sith can’t be allowed to mount a rescue before we reach the People’s Palace.”

“Aye, sir!” the man saluted before turning to fulfill his orders.

Caid stroked his goatee in thought as he watched the young soldier leave to carry out his orders. They were almost to the People’s Palace. Once they got the Seeker behind those walls and inside the Palace itself, it would be too late. 

There would be no rescuing the Seeker after that.

XXX

“I think we’re gaining on them,” Cara announced as she pulled her hair back out of her face.

Zedd agreed, feeling a sudden sense of hope drift through him. “It was fortunate we found that bridge when we did.”

Kahlan had to admit that finding that bridge not even a full league away had been a gift from the good spirits. She hoped that it was sign that things were finally going to go their way, that they were going to get Richard back before they lost him forever.

Her blue gaze dark with fear scanned the horizon, desperately searching for any sign that they were getting closer to finding him. They were running out of time. They would no doubt reach the People’s Palace by tomorrow.

She swallowed back a sob she could suddenly feel rising in her throat. She had to keep a tight rein on her heart if she was going to be able to rescue Richard. Falling to pieces would do him no good. She had never been one to allow her emotions to rise to the surface, but Richard had somehow changed that in her.

He had managed to reach inside and touch her heart, stirring emotions within her that she had never felt or allowed to fully form. He had broken down the impenetrable walls that she had built up around her, protecting her and keeping the world at arm’s length.

He had opened her eyes and her heart to a whole new world and she wanted that back, wanted him back. She didn’t want to return to the way her life had been before she had met him. She loved how he had lit her entire world, missed his smile and the way that he always looked at her with such love and longing smoldering in those deep brown depths.

Kahlan’s breath suddenly caught in her chest as she spied red and black dots moving in the distance. She yelled at her horse, digging her heels into the animal’s sides and driving the mare on towards her Seeker. 

She could feel her magic begin to tingle with a warm stirring in her core, ready to be called upon at a moment’s notice when she relaxed her hold on it. She grew anxious as the dots became larger the closer they drew, excitement at the thought of finally getting Richard back flooding her soul.

Rain became to spit, the sky darkening to a gloomy gray. She could feel her blood beginning to pump fiercely through her veins as rain wet her face, her heart hammering with anticipation. She was desperate to get her hands on those soldiers, to make them pay for stealing her Seeker away from her. She wanted him back, wanted to feel his strong arms wrapped so protectively around her, to feel his lips so greedy against her own.

Kahlan felt an unexpected quivering in the pit of her stomach when she suddenly realized those D’Harans on horseback weren’t moving away from them, but straight for them. They were coming to stop them, to keep them from getting to Richard.

She clenched her jaw, her eyes narrowing with rage at the thought of them standing in her way. She would not be stopped. She had a future that still needed to be realized with the man who filled her heart as well as her dreams, a world that needed to be saved from the Keeper.

The Keeper.

The thought of him caused an overwhelming sense of dread to shiver straight through her. It felt as though he was following her everywhere she went, watching very single move she made. It made her skin crawl.

Shoving the uneasy feelings aside, Kahlan reached back and grabbed hold of the Sword of Truth, drawing it from the safety of her pack tied to her saddle. She tightened her fingers around the hilt, allowing the magical rage to inundate her as she bore down on the D’Harans in her path.

They would not keep her from getting Richard back. She would take down every last one of them if she had to. She leaned into the horse’s withers, her gaze focused in on her prey. She could feel her magic combining with the fury of the weapon gripped tightly in her hand. It almost left her breathless as she drew closer.

An arrow suddenly whizzed past her head, causing her to jerk out of the way at the last moment. She swiftly lifted the Sword, swinging it just in time to deflect another arrow that narrowly missed her chest. She didn’t let it slow her pace as she bore down on the D’Harans trying to stop them.

Racing towards them, she dedicated herself to the battle, the dance with death. She had performed that dance countless times in her life, countless times with Richard. She had lost that deadly battle three days ago and had been brought back to dance again. She wouldn’t waste this opportunity given to her, waste her chance to save her Seeker.

She had failed the man that she loved, allowed him to be captured. She had pledged her life to him. She wouldn’t fail him again.

Approaching a D’Haran on horseback, Kahlan swung the sword, a piercing scream of fury spilling from her lips as the blade sliced right through the man’s body. He quickly fell from his horse as she moved onto the next, determined not to be slowed down.

A bolt of Wizard’s fire suddenly shot past her, engulfing a soldier headed straight for her. She turned to see Zedd and Cara closing in on her as the battle was just beginning. She turned back just in time to catch the swing of a sword aimed straight for her head, raising her own weapon just in time to repel it.

Pulling on the reins of her horse, Kahlan circled back around to take him on, her thirst for blood and revenge intensified by the weapon held in her hand. She would not be denied.

She raced towards the soldier who now held Cara dead in his sights. As soon as she was close enough, the Mother Confessor leaped from her horse for the man, surprising him and knocking him off of his steed. They both landed hard on the ground, temporarily knocking the wind from Kahlan’s lungs as she rolled up onto the balls of her feet.

Adjusting her grip on the Sword of Truth, she slowly began to circle her prey like a wild animal preparing to attack its dinner, her icy glare locked on the enormous man who was at least twice her size. Her boots slid slightly in the wet grass as rain continued to fall, soaking her clothes and her hair.

“So you are alive?” the soldier sneered. “The Seeker’s been in turmoil since we captured him. He thinks that you’re dead.”

“What?” Kahlan’s gaze immediately narrowed with his revelation, her heart seizing at the thought of him suffering because of her.

“Doesn’t matter though,” the D’Haran shrugged, his menacing glower darkening the longer he stared her down. “You’re about to die anyway.”

“I already died,” she gritted her teeth. “And I’m not going back any time soon.”

Kahlan lunged with a throaty growl, swinging the sword at him and blocking his thrust. She staggered back a few steps, knocked backwards from the forceful clashing of their blades. She ducked as his sword arched for her head, almost removing it from her shoulders. She swiftly raised her leg, kicking him square in the abdomen with the heel of her boot, causing him to stagger backwards this time.

She took the momentary opening, driving at him with her open hand this time instead of her weapon. Her hand connected with his thick neck, her fingers digging into his flesh as her blue eyes locked on his. She happily released the subconscious hold she had on her magic, relishing the feel of the violent rush of her powers roaring to the surface and into her fingers.

Silent thunder reverberated through those standing close to them as the tendrils of her magic reached out, snaking its way inside of her victim, snatching hold of his soul and taking it for her own to command. She watched in that fraction of a second as his pupils swirled to black before returning to blue once more.

Kahlan felt her knees buckle as she released her grasp on the soldier’s throat. The D’Haran immediately grabbed hold of her arms, falling to his knees with her as he lowered her to the wet ground.

“Command me, Mistress,” he begged her, holding her to keep her upright.

Kahlan’s eyes fell closed as she fought to regain her strength. She hadn’t felt weakened by her magic like this since she was a very young Confessor. She’d grown stronger, her ability to recover quickening to seconds. Now, she felt just like she had when she had taken her very first confession, so frail and exhausted, her head spinning and her stomach churning.

“Protect us,” she simply commanded him as she placed her hands on the ground to steady herself.

“Yes, my Mistress,” the man eagerly leapt to his feet. The D’Haran immediately grabbed his sword, turning to face his comrades and ready to give his life for his Mistress. 

Kahlan only hoped that he would be able to fight for her now because she suddenly found that she couldn’t.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 8

Her world spun like a violent cyclone, her fingers digging into the wet grass in an attempt to gather her senses together again. She felt like she was losing control of her whole body, like something was being pulled from deep within her and there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

Kahlan could hear the battle raging around her, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t respond. She couldn’t make her body move, couldn’t make her limbs obey the commands her brain was sending to them. Exhaustion weighed her down, attempting to drag her ever closer to the ground.

Rain pelted her, drops turning into rivulets of water that ran down her face and body, dripping from her chin and hair. She shivered despite the warmth of the air that surrounded her, a chill racing through her and causing goose bumps to ripple over her wet skin.

The warm tingling of her magic still lingered in her veins reminding her that she had used her magic, the rushing of her blood in her ears reminding her that there was something deadly wrong with her. She’d never had a reaction like this after confessing someone. Something was affecting her, causing her to react like this.

Could it be related to having been in the Underworld for as long as she had been?

Jumping from her horse, Cara raced towards the Mother Confessor still kneeling on the ground. Something was very wrong. She snatched her agiels from her waist, her teeth gritted in determination and anger. She was not about to lose another friend. She wouldn’t allow it.

She slammed an agiel into the chest of a soldier who was heading straight for Kahlan. Raising her hand, her other agiel connected with his skull. The D’Haran’s eyes bugged out as blinding pain rushed through his body like a crushing tidal wave.

He crumpled to the ground in a red and black clothed heap, the Mord’Sith quickly leaping over him to take on the next one. She cast a fleeting sidelong glance to check on Kahlan before swinging her leg, the heel of her boot connecting with another soldier’s jaw.

Temporarily dazed, he stumbled back as Cara’s agiel followed him to finish the assault that she had just started. The acrid stench of wizard’s fire burned in her nose, smoke filling the air despite the rain that continued to fall harder and harder. Thunder echoed softly in the distance, rising above the sounds of battle.

She paused to pull wet strands of blond hair out of her face as she watched the last remaining soldier leap onto his horse and take off towards the safety of the forest, leaving the bodies of his dead friends behind. She growled in frustration as she started to race after him.

“Let him go, Cara!” Zedd yelled as he knelt beside Kahlan.

“Are you alright?” he asked her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” she gasped, squeezing her eyes shut. “Just…give me a minute.”

“Mistress!” the confessed soldier cried as he ran to the Mother Confessor. “Mistress, I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!”

“It’s alright,” she shook her head as she finally sat back on her heels and opened her eyes. Nausea constricted her throat, but she forced it back down. “What’s your name?”

“It’s Oren, Mistress,” he quickly replied. “Brell Oren.”

“Where are they taking the Seeker, Brell?” Kahlan demanded, her frosty blue gaze boring straight through the man and causing him to almost cower in fear.

“They’re taking him to the People’s Palace, Mistress,” he wailed, noticing her anger. “I’m so sorry, Mistress. Please forgive me for helping them.”

“Who wants Richard?” Kahlan hissed as Zedd helped her to her feet.

“The new ruler of D’Hara,” Oren obediently stated.

“Who is the new ruler of D’Hara?” Zedd repeated with equal exasperation.

“It’s…” Brell’s eyes suddenly widened, his mouth hanging open in shock before he could finish. “It…it’s…” he gasped.

Zedd immediately grabbed hold of the large D’Haran’s shoulders as he abruptly dropped to his knees, blood beginning to trickle from the corner of his mouth. The soldier slumped against the Wizard, an arrow sticking out of the man’s upper back. Cara and Kahlan crouched low to the ground, scanning the area for any sign of the attacker.

Looking towards the line of trees, Zedd found nothing, the forest revealing no secrets. The Wizard lowered the dead man to the ground before turning his attention back to the Mother Confessor.

“Well, we’re not going to get any more out of him,” he scowled in frustration. “Kahlan, what happened to you?”

“I don’t know,” she shook her head. “After I confessed him, I just had no strength left, couldn’t make my body move.”

“You have never been this weak after a confession before,” he replied, stroking his chin as he studied her.

Her face was pale, dark shadows beginning to form under her eyes. She suddenly looked so frail, so weak…so unlike herself. He walked over to her, his weathered hand affectionately settling on the side of her head. Something was wrong with their beloved Confessor.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, Zedd,” she gasped as she sucked in a ragged breath, tears brimming in her eyes as rain trickled down her face.

“What happened in the Underworld, Kahlan?” he asked. “Something happened, something that you aren’t telling us.”

Cara stood quietly beside the Wizard, her arms folded against her chest. “Kahlan, what happened? Did you see Darken Rahl?”

“No,” she snapped, pulling away from Zedd and turning her back to them. “I never saw him.” 

She didn’t want to think about it, remember what had happened there. She wanted to forget, to find Richard and continue on with their quest and their lives. She didn’t want to dwell on what could be happening to her, not when Richard’s life was at stake. He needed her now more than ever.

“Then what happened?” Cara pressed, a dark sense of foreboding rising within her. “Kahlan, Richard’s life is in danger and unless you start telling us what’s going on, we aren’t going to be able to save him.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Kahlan shouted as she spun on them, thunder suddenly cracking above them. “I want Richard back more than you can possibly know.”

“Then tell us, Kahlan,” Zedd gently pushed.

“I don’t know what happened,” she bit out, wrapping her arms around herself, her chin falling to her chest as rain continued to trickle down her face. “I found myself in the Underworld. I heard the Keeper’s voice. He…he…”

Zedd came to stand before her again, cupping her cheek. “It’s going to be alright, dear one,” he promised. “Please tell us so we can help.”

“It’s nothing, I’m sure,” she murmured, shaking her head to stop the sound of the Keeper’s voice. “It was just an idle threat. I don’t think that he can really do it.”

“Do what?” Cara asked, her green-eyed gaze narrowing in apprehension.

Kahlan visibly shivered as she attempted to gain control over her fear. “Just before you brought me back with the breath of life, the Keeper said that he was going to make sure that I would suffer.”

“The Keeper wants us all to suffer,” Cara shrugged.

“But as I started to feel myself being pulled out of the Underworld, the Keeper said that I would be back soon,” Kahlan revealed. “He said that he held a piece of my soul now and that I would be forced to return for it, that I couldn’t remain in the world of the living for long without it.”

“Wonder what he meant by that?” Cara frowned as she considered her words.

“It means nothing,” Kahlan threw up her arms in frustration as the rain continued to fall. “We’re wasting time over a stupid threat. We need to get Richard back before they get to the People’s Palace and we lose him for good.”

“This is not ‘nothing’, I’m afraid,” Zedd grimly replied. 

“What do you mean?” Cara asked.

“The Keeper may have found some way of snagging hold of her soul somehow, to gradually draw her back into the Underworld even though you brought her back to life,” he told them.

“How’s that possible?” Kahlan exclaimed. “He has no power.”

“In the Underworld, he does,” he replied. “The Creator trapped him there because he used his powers for evil. His magic wasn’t removed from him. He was just unable to use it any longer in the world of the living, trapping him in the Underworld. But while in his world of the dead…”

“He is still powerful, still able to use his magic,” Cara finished the thought. “So you think he somehow got his claws into Kahlan, got hold of her soul before we brought her back?”

“Yes,” he simply said. “He must have spelled her soul.”

“How…how do we stop it?” Kahlan softly asked.

“I don’t know yet,” the Wizard admitted as he studied the Mother Confessor. “But I’ll figure it out somehow.”

“So we don’t know how long she has before the Keeper drags her back to the Underworld,” Cara pointed out.

“Richard is all that matters right now,” Kahlan said, straightening her shoulders. “We need to find a way to get him back. We can worry about me later.”

“We won’t stop until we find a way to save the both of you, Kahlan,” Zedd firmly replied, gripping her shoulder and squeezing it affectionately.

Kahlan slowly nodded her head, forcing a small smile of confidence that she didn’t feel. She didn’t care what happened to her. She only cared about Richard and that he would be alright, that he would be safe and able to live the life that he deserved to have. 

One without her.

XXX

“It’s beginning,” he suddenly announced.

Darken Rahl immediately knelt to the ground with the sound of his master’s voice. “What has begun, my Master?”

“The Mother Confessor’s soul is already beginning to return to me,” his deep ominous voice vibrated through Rahl’s ears.

“So, it won’t be long then till she returns to us?” Darken asked, a vile smile spreading across his face.

“No, she should already be feeling the effects of the spell that I cast on her before the Mord’Sith could rescue her.”

“And when she returns to us, I will gladly teach her over and over again what it means to respect her new master,” Rahl smirked with sweet anticipation, his imagination already running wild with countless ideas of the fun he was going to have with Kahlan once she arrived for good this time.

XXX

Sitting on his horse, Richard couldn’t help but notice the beauty that surrounded him despite the fact that his life was over. Overwhelming anguish had settled into his soul. What once had been a warm glow of joy and love was now dark and cold, empty…and yet filled with rage and demand for revenge.

Coming up over the ridge, the People’s Palace spread out like a breathtaking canvas before them. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anything so beautiful before in his life, so spectacular since his all-too brief visit to Aydindril when he’d had to save Kahlan after she’d been torn in two. 

But now, she was dead and all that he cared about was gone with her.

His mind immediately flashed back to the moment that he had first gazed into those sapphire eyes filled with such intelligence and strength that he had momentarily forgotten how to breathe, how to speak. Memories of the first time his hand had brushed so innocently against hers, sending charged shockwaves of electricity straight through him or the first time that he had been given that special smile that she gave no one else but him.

Memories of their first kiss, so innocent in the woods after he had awoken her from that nightmare flooded his mind and his heart. He still remembered that first kiss as if it had just happened yesterday, the tentative sweetness behind it, the nervous flutter in the pit of his stomach as her lips had brushed against his, so hesitant and new and full of such hope. 

And then how passion had exploded between them; her lips so insistent and urgent, her tongue warring with his for control as she had fisted his shirt, the feel of the bark of that tree so rough against his back as she had pressed him against it. The feel of her hand gripping his face, her fingers sliding into his hair as they had finally begun to unleash what each had been harboring in their hearts for each other all that time.

And he would never forget how perfect it had felt, how right and real it had been. He had known beyond a doubt in that moment that they were meant to be together, created solely for one another. Nothing had ever been so real to him in his whole life than her.

That was also the first time he had witnessed the woman behind the Confessor, the passionate fire that burned within her soul, begging to be known, to be released, to be loved. He had wanted so badly to be the one to know that fire, to unleash that passion, to love her like she had deserved to be loved. Being with her that night in the woods when she had been torn in two had given him the briefest glimpse into that soul that he loved, had given him only the smallest taste of who Kahlan truly was. 

And it had been nothing short of pure ecstasy. He couldn’t begin to imagine what being with her, the real her in that way would be like.

And now, he would never know, would never feel the fire for him that burned through her veins or the love that beat in her heart for him. He would never again see those bright blue eyes radiant with such love for him that it caused him to forget his own name. To know that a woman as amazing as Kahlan loved him so fiercely, so deeply in return…he couldn’t begin to comprehend it.

His rage oozed through his veins like hot lava, searing into his soul. His desire for revenge for his would-be lover screamed out to him, yelling at him to avenge her while still angry with her for leaving him alone. Tied to his horse like he was with the People’s Palace looming so large before him, he knew that his time for revenge was swiftly running out.

Richard watched as the sun peeked out from behind majestic mountains, its bright gleaming rays giving way to another beautiful day, but there would never be another beautiful day in his life ever again.

Casting a glance to his right, he saw Ingram studying him, a sneer twisting his face. If the man could kill with looks alone, Richard knew he’d have been dead long ago. He just didn’t know why exactly. There was something more about scar face, something that told him that the man’s hatred for him went far beyond the lines of just good versus evil. This was something personal.

The Seeker smirked in return, knowing that he was only pushing Ingram that much closer to committing murder. It was the only thing that could save him now, the only thing that could reunite him with his Confessor.

Ingram snarled under his breath as he tightened his hold on the reins of his horse, causing the Commander to cast a warning glance at his soldier. Ingram scowled as he immediately looked away. It was only a matter of time.

Richard knew that the only thing keeping him alive at this point was Commander Caid and whoever it was that wanted him alive. Whoever it was had to be terrifying in order to keep these men in line like this, making them afraid of disobeying orders by killing him and yet Ingram had still shot that arrow at him.

It only served to pique his curiosity, not his worry. He had nothing to lose. He’d already lost it all. No one could ever hurt him more than Kahlan already had by dying, by leaving him alone to go on without her. He had never believed that someone that he loved so much could cause him such unimaginable pain, but he knew it, felt it inside of him with every breath he attempted to draw.

Nearing the Palace, Richard watched as people milled about like ants, no one even paying attention to them as the soldiers made their way inside the gates. The market was bustling with activity, everyone too consumed with their own activities to pay any attention to the Seeker beaten and tied to a horse, his shirt stained with his Confessor’s blood.

To them, it must be a common event for prisoners to be brought in like this, an everyday occurrence that didn’t warrant their attention or their notice. His dark gaze scanned the area, taking note of every path, every entrance into the city. He would need to know it if he chose to plan an escape.

But what was the point of trying to escape? What did he have to escape to? What life was there for him now?

Zedd could always name a new Seeker. They had the Sword of Truth. They didn’t need him now. Besides, he’d been stripped of his heart and his soul. He had already given all he had in order to save the world, sacrificed everything. He had nothing left to give. 

He was barely aware that they were beginning to untie him or when they lowered him to the ground, barely noticed as they exchanged ropes for chains around his ankles and wrists before leading him inside the Palace.

Guilt began to fester inside of him, shame for allowing the world to fend for itself against the Keeper’s attempts to take over. He knew deep in the depths of his soul that he should care, that he should be using every moment he had to fight for his freedom, but the anguish that pervaded his heart wouldn’t allow it to fully form just yet.

He walked numbly through the halls of the magnificent People’s Palace, obediently following Commander Caid and ignoring the soldiers that surrounded him including Ingram who was walking right beside him. He knew he wouldn’t try anything now.

The clanking of the links of his chains that bound him echoed through the hallway, standing out in the midst of the soldiers’ heavy boot strikes against the marble floor. There was an overwhelming feeling of darkness that hung in the air of the Palace despite it being early in the day, an ominous sensation that made the fine hairs prickle on the back of the Seeker’s neck. Whoever had taken over was not any less wicked than Darken Rahl had been and maybe even worse.

Entering an enormous room, Richard saw someone standing in the shadows on the far side. A dark cloak hid the owner’s form, veiling their appearance. His eyes narrowed as he walked to the center of the room, his focus solely on the individual.

Coming to a stop, they waited for an eternity for the shadowy figure to acknowledge them. He was exhausted, enraged. He wanted his life back, his Kahlan. He didn’t care who this person was or what they wanted with him. He had no desire to fight any more, only to kill those who had taken what he loved most.

Suddenly, the cloaked figure turned, the hood pulled forward to hide their face. Richard stared numbly as the figure slowly made its way towards him, praying for his death to come swiftly as the person came to a stop a few feet before.

“Hello, brother,” the voice ominously greeted him as hands suddenly appeared from sleeves, fingers slowly drawing the hood of the cloak back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 9

Tugging the hood of her cloak up, Kahlan tucked her long raven hair securely inside, helping to conceal her identity. She couldn’t draw any attention to herself or her true title with Richard’s life at stake. Now that he was even further beyond her reach, it was more important than ever that she do whatever was necessary to get him safely back.

And now, time was swiftly slipping away from her, fleeing faster than she could possibly begin to catch it. She had no idea how long she had left before she would finally find herself staring into the dark soulless eyes of Darken Rahl or finally come face to face with the vile Keeper himself. 

She internally shuddered with the contemptible thought. She feared the next time she returned to the Underworld, she wouldn’t be coming back to the world of the living, to her friends…to Richard. She was sure that not even the breath of life could save her then.

She choked back sudden tears so hot and bitter in her throat as they carefully descended the ridge on their way to the People’s Palace. She couldn’t think about her own situation right now, couldn’t allow herself to dwell on what the near future held for her. 

She had to save her Seeker.

She did not matter, nothing mattered but him. Her life, her happiness, her future mattered little. Yes it would mean the end of the line of Confessors and possibly moral rule over the Midlands, but maybe it was time for a new ruler, a ruler like the Seeker. She knew that Richard would do what was right, would do everything in his power to uphold justice no matter the cost. It was one of the things that she loved so much about him – his pure heart, his honor, his deep-seated desire for truth and justice.

Memories of what Brell had told her before she had confessed him filtered through her mind and mingled with her already tortured thoughts. She couldn’t bear the idea of Richard suffering, believing that she was dead. She hated that she had put him through that, but it was preferable to him being dead right now or the one whose soul was slowly seeping back into the Underworld.

The alternative made her temporarily sway in her saddle, her body growing boneless with the thought. Just thinking of it brought inexplicable pain that sharply pierced straight to her very core. She couldn’t imagine what Richard was going through truly believing that she was dead.

The depths of their love brought a sense of warmth to her heart, knowing how intense their love had grown since that first meeting. Traveling across the boundary in search of the Seeker that would be the hopeful savior of them all, she had never for one moment anticipated losing her heart to him. But she had…they both had.

And now…what he must be going through…

“How are you holding up, my dear?”

Kahlan turned to smile at Zedd, the forced expression not even reaching her eyes. “I’m fine,” she lied, turning her attention back to their destination looming before them. “I just want to get Richard back and get out of here as soon as possible.”

Zedd gave her a tight-lipped smile in return, seeing straight through her veiled attempt to placate him. He may not be a Confessor like her, able to read people and detect if they were telling the truth, but he had been around for quite a number of years and gained more than a little wisdom during that time.

“You’re not a very good liar, Mother Confessor,” he affectionately told her.

“It sounds better than saying that I feel like a little piece of me is dying every moment that passes by, that my heart hurts more than I can possibly stand without Richard here,” she softly admitted.

“We’re not giving up on either of you,” he firmly replied, pulling his hood up over his head, strands of white hair sticking out haphazardly here and there. “We’re going to sneak into the People’s Palace, rescue Richard, and find a way to save you before you even have a chance to feel Darken Rahl’s foul breath on your face.”

Kahlan chuckled softly at the old Wizard’s attempt to comfort her. She could feel her stomach roiling with his words. She had been fortunate enough to escape the Underworld without having to see the monster that was Richard’s half brother. She had a dreadful feeling the next time she wouldn’t be so fortunate, his visits with her none too pleasant.

“Do we even have a plan for getting in?” Cara groused from her perch on her horse on the other side of Kahlan.

“Not exactly,” Zedd frowned in thought. “I was just hoping to make it past all the soldiers standing guard outside of the Palace first before having to come up with a rescue plan.”

“Getting past them won’t be near as difficult as trying to get inside the Palace itself,” the Mord’Sith huffed.

“Well, lucky for us we have someone with us who knows her way around the Palace,” Zedd intimated with a smirk at the blond haired beauty.

Cara shook her head skeptically. “Whoever has taken over the throne will have no doubt doubled or even tripled security now that they have the Seeker as their prisoner. They know that we’ll be coming for him. This isn’t going to be easy.”

“They all think that I’m dead,” Kahlan interjected. “I’m sure they will report that news to their new leader. Maybe we can use that to our advantage somehow.”

“If we don’t find a way to get Lord Rahl out of their quickly, you will be for real this time,” Cara scowled.

“Thank you for the reminder, Cara,” Kahlan frowned.

“I’m just saying that we have to do this quickly,” Cara swiftly tried to amend. “We don’t know how much time you have left. We can’t use up what little time we do have saving Lord Rahl. We’re going to need to devote time to saving you as well.”

“My life is insignificant compared to Richard’s,” Kahlan firmly replied. “He is the true Seeker. The world needs him right now more than me. We will do whatever is necessary to save Richard, no matter how long it takes to do it. I will not leave here without him.”

“Kahlan, you may think your life is of little consequence, but it isn’t to us or to Richard,” Zedd gently reminded her.

“I know,” she sighed heavily, frustration tensing her every muscle. “I’m just saying that as the Seeker, Richard is needed to find the Stone of Tears and defeat the Keeper. Without him, all will be lost.”

“And are you forgetting about the prophecy hanging over your head that states that your pure heart needs to continue to beat in order for the Keeper to be defeated?” Cara said with a cocked eyebrow.

“You know how Richard feels about prophecy,” the Mother Confessor shook her head.

“That doesn’t mean that it isn’t real or that it doesn’t come true,” Zedd chided her.

Kahlan tucked a stray lock of hair back inside her hood. “That doesn’t mean that Richard still can’t find a way to stop the Keeper if I die. You know how resourceful he is.”

“That’s a chance we can’t take. Your life is worth too much to risk it,” Cara firmly stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. “We need you with us.”

Kahlan peered at the Mord’Sith from the edge of her hood, surprised by the firm resolve that pervaded not only her words but her face as well. She watched Cara as she stared straight ahead of her, her brow furrowed, her mouth turned into a fearsome scowl. 

She knew that Cara cared about her, considered her a friend, but seeing it demonstrated like this meant a great deal to her. Kahlan knew her connection with Richard ran deep, binding them in a way that she couldn’t quite understand. She had found herself feeling somewhat envious of that bond that they so obviously shared. Seeing Cara being so protective of her now too made her feel a little better in a way, knowing that the Mord’Sith valued them both in her own special way.

Swallowing hard, Kahlan finally answered. “I appreciate that, Cara, but let’s just get Richard out of there and we’ll worry about me after that.”

The Mother Confessor could hear Cara huff and grumble something under her breath, her words muffled, but the tone behind it crystal clear. Kahlan didn’t care if she was mad at her. She just hoped that Cara would be able to channel that anger at her into getting Richard back.

XXX

Richard stared in shock at the person standing before him, the words still ringing in his ears and through his head. He couldn’t make his mind work as he gaped at the dark cloaked figure, his heart racing with the unexpected revelation.

“What’s the matter, brother?” the figure taunted, amusement lacing the drawling words. “You look stunned.”

The Seeker could feel his entire body locking with alarm, his muscles tensing in anticipation of the unknown. He didn’t know what to believe as he studied the familiar looking figure standing before him, the derisive expression making his skin crawl. It was like the past had just reached its contemptible little hand into the present, twisting things that he knew, he saw and believed into something so unimaginable.

Gathering himself, Richard finally found his voice. “I am not your brother,” he bit out in an exerted huff.

“Ah, but I’m afraid you are,” he smirked, coming to stand closer to the Seeker. “I am Demos Rahl. Our brother Darken Rahl didn’t know about me either. Not even our father, Panis Rahl, knew of my existence.”

“Then how do you know that Panis is even your father?” Richard demanded to know.

“Darken’s mother carried twins, but no one realized until she finally delivered. Darken was born first and then…surprise…here I came,” he explained, amusement dancing like diamonds in his dark eyes. “Unfortunately during the delivery, the cord became wrapped around my throat. The midwife tried to save me, but alas, there was nothing even she could do by that point.”

“And yet you’re standing here now,” Richard scowled, clenching his fists.

“But I’m delighted to say that there is a very happy ending to the story,” he smiled, enjoying the steadily growing heated reaction he was already eliciting from the Seeker.

“There hasn’t been a happy ending yet, but I’m more than anxious to write it myself,” he spat out, his chains clanking as he took a step forward.

Large hands were suddenly grabbing hold of him, jerking him back and holding him fast. The Lord Rahl calmly raised his hand, a small smile on his face as he shook his head no.

“It’s alright,” he told the soldiers. “You have done very well. You may leave us now. My brother and I have much catching up to do.”

“Aye, Lord Rahl,” Caid bowed his head, his fist connecting to his chest before turning to leave.

Richard could hear a low growl being emitted from behind him. He knew without looking it was Ingram. What the man had against him was still a mystery, but he was certain he would find out eventually. Ingram wasn’t going to give up until he’d finally killed him and Richard wouldn’t give up until he’d had his revenge as well.

The new Lord Rahl paced back and forth before the Seeker as he waited patiently until all of the soldiers had filed out of the room. To him, he had all the time in the world. He finally had what he wanted. He continued to pace long after the door had closed, leaving him alone with his brother in uneasy silence.

Richard intently studied him as he slowly walked back and forth before him. The man’s appearance caused a river of rage to flow through him. His physical similarity to Darken Rahl made his skin prickle with dread. It was as if his half brother had been brought back to life right before his eyes.

The man couldn’t pass for Darken Rahl, but there was such a powerful resemblance that there was definitely no denying that he was telling the truth. This man was his half brother as well. The thought made his stomach churn with overwhelming dread. How many others could there be out there that he didn’t know about?

“So how is it that you are alive?” Richard finally asked, breaking the silence.

“That’s the most wonderful part of the story,” the man grinned, pausing to momentarily look at the Seeker. “You see, the midwife had pity on me. She quickly whisked me away, took me to a Mord’Sith who gave me the breath of life. She saved my life.”

“Why didn’t anyone know about you then?”

“She kept me a secret, let everyone believe that I had truly died at birth,” he replied. “She didn’t have any children of her own so she raised me as if I was her own child.”

“Touching,” Richard frowned.

“It really is actually,” he said, dismissing the Seeker’s derisive tone. “It was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. If Darken Rahl had known about me, he would’ve had me executed to ensure that I never stole the throne from him.”

The Lord Rahl paused again in his steps, turning to face the Seeker. With a flick of his hand, the shackles binding his wrists and ankles suddenly released, clanking loudly as they landed on the marble floor.

“You don’t need those nasty things anymore,” he informed him.

“How do you know I won’t kill you with my bare hands? Just because you’re my brother doesn’t mean I won’t kill you first chance I get,” Richard sneered, his chest beginning to heave as he took a threatening step towards him. “Your men killed the Mother Confessor.”

“Really?” the Lord Rahl exclaimed with obvious delight, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “Well, I shall see to it that they are doubly rewarded for their efforts. They not only brought me the Seeker, my long lost brother, but eliminated the last living Confessor. It has been a very good day indeed.”

Richard growled, his fury inundating him as he began to lunge for his brother. He would pay just like those soldiers for what they had done to Kahlan. No one would escape his thirst for blood.

Before he could take more than two steps, Richard found himself frozen in his tracks, a burning tingle slowly spreading over his body. His legs suddenly buckled as he fell to his knees before the new Lord Rahl of D’Hara.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the man mockingly apologized. “I forgot to add that the midwife was also a sorceress, one who knew the ways of dark magic. I’m proud to say that she taught me everything I know.”

Richard wrapped an arm around his abdomen, his other hand bracing himself on the floor as pain rippled through him. He fought to catch his breath as he felt his ribs being squeezed. It felt as though he was being crushed by some invisible force. He felt lightheaded as sweat broke out across his brow, the burning tingle intensifying with every breath he drew.

He could see the tips of his brother’s black boots standing very close to him, the chains that once bound his wrists and ankles within his reach. All he’d have to do is reach out his hand, grab hold of the chains and his new-found brother would be his. But he couldn’t move, couldn’t make his body work against the magic ripping through him like hot razors.

Just when Richard thought he was about to pass out, the magic subsided, his breaths suddenly coming easier as he slumped against the cold ground. He could hear the sound of his brother’s boots striking the marble floor, their sound growing more distant. Richard instinctively wrapped his fingers around the steel links that had imprisoned him, biding his time as he attempted to regain his strength.

“I’m sorry I had to do that to you,” his brother’s voice suddenly cut through the humming din that still rang in his ears from the magical assault. “But I had to make you see that any attempts to harm me or get in my way are futile. I am more powerful than you can possibly imagine and have everything to gain.”

“And I have nothing to lose,” the Seeker bitterly murmured as he jumped to his feet, the chain gripped tightly in his hands.

“Please, Richard,” the man sighed as he shook his head in dismay. “I had hoped that this little reunion would go better than this, that you would be overjoyed to find that you have another brother.”

“I don’t need another brother,” Richard growled. “All I want is my Confessor back.”

“Ah, yes, the Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell,” the Lord Rahl replied as he appraised the Seeker standing like a vengeful spirit before him, the chain gripped tightly in his hands, his face twisted with the fury thundering through him. “I have heard rumors of your great love affair with her. Pity it was doomed before it really began.”

“We were never doomed,” he shouted, taking a step towards him.

The Lord Rahl ran his fingers over his face, smoothing his dark goatee. “No one has ever bedded a Confessor and managed to keep his soul to tell about it.”

“I would’ve found a way, but your men killed her, took her away from me,” Richard seethed, barely able to contain his hurt and his rage.

“It’s for the best, Richard,” he tried to explain. “She would’ve probably gotten in my way, tried to keep me from accomplishing my goals.”

“And what would that be?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” the man told him. “In the meantime, I have made some arrangements for you stay here with me. I know they won’t be what you want, but I’m sure that it’s better than the hard ground you’re accustomed to sleeping on.”

“I won’t be here long enough for it to matter,” the Seeker growled as he lunged for his brother again.

“If that’s the way you want it,” he frowned, reaching out with his hand.

Before Richard could even make it half-way to the man, the chains suddenly became large serpents, wrapping around him and binding him. The Seeker fought to break free, but the snakes only tightened their hold on him. They hissed as they slithered and squirmed around his body, squeezing and crushing the air from his lungs.

“I do hope that the next time we speak, you will be more civil and cooperative,” the Lord Rahl calmly said as he came to stand before Richard, staring into his brother’s eyes. “By the way, welcome to your new home, brother.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 10

Kahlan couldn’t help the shiver that raced through her despite the hot summer weather, the humidity that hung heavily in the air. She felt chilled to the bone, an icy numbness that seemed to spring from somewhere deep within her. She had a dreadful feeling it was one that she wasn’t going to be able to shake no matter what she did. There was no fire that could cure this chill.

It was the Keeper’s hold on her soul.

It felt like a steady pull deep within her, something that she could not begin to explain. It was as if there was a thin invisible cord inside of her, one that was fixed to her soul. The Keeper had snatched hold of the end of that thread somehow, was steadily pulling on it, drawing her back into the Underworld and under his control.

She knew that she was rapidly running out of time. Her strength was beginning to fade, her soul slowly dying. She had to get to Richard before it was too late, before she was gone forever. She had to help him one last time, had to keep going for him. It was her fault that he was in trouble and now she had to save him.

Growing closer to the Palace, Kahlan could feel a nervous flutter in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t going to be easy getting inside. Soldiers were going to be on guard against a rescue attempt, ready for them…or at least Zedd and Cara…to try to save Richard.

The Mother Confessor cast a furtive glance to the Mord’Sith riding beside her. It was disconcerting to see her with the long tight black braid hanging down the length of her back. Zedd had done a good job of altering her appearance. Hopefully, it would take time for her to be recognized once they were inside.

There was an intense fierceness about Cara more so than she already possessed, a deadly air that exuded from deep within, fully encompassing her. It left Kahlan feeling uneasy and yet brought her a renewed sense of determination, a hope that they were going to make it through this and see Richard again very soon.

Straightening her shoulders, Kahlan sat up a little taller in her saddle despite her body’s desperate desire to curl up and lie down, to sleep forever. But not without Richard. Not without knowing that he was going to be alright, that he was safe and away from the monster that had him now.

She would gladly return to the Underworld if that’s what it would take to save Richard’s life. She could die happy then, knowing that he was safe. He would be heartbroken at first, angry with her for leaving him, but he would eventually move past it, would find someone to love him, someone to love. He could have the family that she knew that he so desperately wanted to have, deserved.

The thought hurt so much worse than she had imagined that it ever would, the idea of Richard marrying another, having children with some other woman. She felt her insides suddenly quiver with unimaginable grief, her heart constricting as if instinctively warring off such an incredibly idiotic notion as letting him go.

She knew that her heart could never truly belong to another. And as much as she wanted Richard to be happy, to know that his every wish and dream would be filled, the thought of some other woman being the one to do that for him brought her inexplicable sorrow that pierced her heart like the sharpest of daggers.

She wanted to be the one who brought him incredible joy, to be the one that he slept beside, to bring passion to his nights. She wanted to be the first one that he saw when he opened his eyes in the morning, the last thing he saw when drifted off to sleep at night. She wanted to be the one who shared in his happiness, the one who he turned to with his every hurt and fear.

She wanted him so badly it took her breath away, made her heart flinch away from the pain of her intense desire.

“Are you alright?”

Kahlan abruptly turned to see Cara studying her, concern filling her face. “I’m fine,” she replied in confusion. “Why?”

“You’re crying,” she simply said, turning her focus back to the Palace steadily growing larger.

The Mother Confessor quickly wiped at her cheeks, brushing away the unexpected tears that she found there. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been crying. She felt ashamed for allowing them to even form let alone fall.

“Kahlan, you don’t have to go in there,” Cara informed her with a gentleness that even startled the Mord’Sith.

“Yes, I do,” she firmly said without giving it a second thought, her jaw set with resolve. “Nothing will keep me from getting to Richard, from getting him out of that vile place.”

“You’re starting to look like death,” the Mord’Sith commented. “Stay close to me or Zedd so we can protect you.”

Kahlan looked at the woman out of the corner of her eye, unwilling to let on that she felt like death as well. If Cara or Zedd thought for even one moment that she wasn’t able to handle the fight that they were about to enter into, they would force her to stay behind. And she wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Let’s just worry about how we’re going to get into that Palace,” the Mother Confessor replied.

“I have been working on some ideas on how we can get in,” Zedd interjected.

“And how are we going to do that?” Cara asked.

“I’m still working out the details, but for now it would be best if you weren’t seen with us, my dear Cara,” Zedd revealed. “They’ll be looking for a Mord’Sith travelling with an old man. We can’t afford to draw attention to our arrival.”

“Once inside, we can meet up at the Black Crow,” Cara instructed them. “It’s a tavern on the east side of the Palace just past the marketplace. We can meet there and figure out how we’re going to get Lord Rahl out of here.”

“Hopefully we’ll be able to gather some information on whoever has assumed the throne,” Kahlan said, her gaze narrowing as she stared at their destination. She was just beginning to be able to make out figures roaming about outside of the People’s Palace. They would be there soon, would be that much closer to finding Richard. It caused her heart to suddenly flutter in her chest.

“Keep your eyes and your ears open,” Zedd sharply inhaled before releasing a ragged breath. “We need to arm ourselves with as much information as possible before we plan on breaking down any doors in order to find Richard.”

“We don’t have a lot of time, Zedd,” Kahlan snapped, her frustration mounting and mingling with her anger. “Spirits only know what is happening to him in there.”

“I know, my dear,” Zedd agreed with a frown. “At the same time, we can’t act impulsively either. What good will we be to Richard if we all end up prisoners as well?”

“I don’t know how much more time I have left. The next time I blink, I could find myself back in the Underworld,” Kahlan heatedly reminded them. “You will need my help to get Richard out of there.”

Feeling a sudden hand on top of hers, Kahlan looked up and into the warm comforting eyes of the old Wizard, the weathered lines on his face suddenly softening. “We won’t let that happen, Kahlan. We won’t let you die again.”

“There’s not much we can do about it right now,” she reminded him. “Richard’s life is in danger. We can’t afford to waste time on me. We find him first.”

“I think I had better leave before we’re spotted together,” Cara suddenly announced, looking up at the sun’s position in the sky. “I’ll wait for an hour before I enter. I’ll meet you at the Black Crow.”

“Don’t be late for dinner, my dear,” Zedd smirked. “You know that I won’t wait for you to eat.”

Cara just shook her head as she rolled her eyes. “Be careful,” she adamantly instructed them. “I don’t want to have to organize a rescue for the two of you as well.”  
The Mord’Sith could hear Zedd chuckling softly as she pulled her horse off to the side of the road. She just hoped that they’d be able to come up with a plan to save Lord Rahl before they lost the Mother Confessor for good.

XXX

Richard slowly opened his eyes, his head throbbing in seamless harmony with his heart. He found himself lying face down on an enormous bed, his hands and feet no longer bound by rope or chains. Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the dark red canopy that blocked his view of the ceiling, trying to figure out where he was. Small gold tassels lined the edges of the canopy, matching the curtains that framed the nearby window.

Despite the intense pounding in his head, he allowed his gaze to slowly roam the room, taking in his unexpected surroundings. He was stunned to find himself in an elegant room instead of a dark dungeon chained to a wall like he had anticipated. 

The room appeared to be best suited for royalty. For a brief fleeting moment, he wondered if this was at all like Kahlan’s suite at the Confessor’s Palace in Aydindril, her bed this large. A sudden lump rose in his throat as tears immediately burned in his eyes.

Spirits, he missed her so fiercely, so much so that he wanted to die just so he could see her face again.

Hot tears started leaking from his eyes and streaming down the sides of his face. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being dead, gone from his life forever. He could think of no worse fate than this. How could the good spirits be so cruel to bring them together only to tear them apart like this?

Just the thought of her being gone caused such intense sharp pain to erupt deep within the void that her absence had brought. When he had been separated from her while at the Palace of the Prophets, he had missed her deeply, so much so he could barely put one foot in front of the other. 

But he had been able to survive it only because he knew that she was alive, safe with Cara and Zedd. It was what had kept him upright, forced him to wake every morning knowing that the dawning of each new day brought him that much closer to returning to her.

Now, the dawning of each new morning was just a taunting reminder of how he had to go through another day without her, live another moment without her beautiful presence in his life, in his arms. He couldn’t do it, didn’t want to do it. It was far too painful, too difficult. Not even the Seeker of Truth was immune to a broken heart, invincible to its brutal devastation.

Richard could feel the tears beginning to fall faster, the heartache choking him as it devoured him whole. How could he ever escape its painful clutches? He immediately decided he didn’t want to escape it. Escaping it drew him that much further away from her and he couldn’t bear it.

Instead, he clung to it, seizing hold of the pain and anguish that was ripping him apart, clutching onto it with everything he had left. He welcomed its cold darkness, its ghostly touch on what was left of his heart and his soul, the little that she had left behind. It was all he had left of her and he wasn’t about to let go of it for anything in this world no matter how deeply it hurt him.

Soon, his entire body was wracked by his sobs as his fingers clawed at the silken bedspread, the air filled with his tormented cries. He could bear it no longer as he released a small measure of the agony and fury that he’d been harboring deep within him. He fisted the dark red material beneath him, twisting it in his hands as he fought to gain control once more.

There was nothing left for him anymore, nothing to hope for, nothing to dream about. It had all vanished the moment that she had drawn her final breath.

He suddenly realized there was no need for him to try to escape, no need to search for the Stone of Tears. The prophecy had been fulfilled and the Keeper had won. Kahlan’s beautiful pure heart had stopped beating. There was no stopping the Keeper now.

A sat up with a sudden thought, tears still trickling down his face. Maybe that would be the key, a way to get Kahlan back. 

If the Keeper had free reign on the world of the living, maybe Richard could steal into the Underworld and rescue her somehow. There had to be a way to get to her, to bring her back to him. He would not stop until he had found a way to reach her. He had nothing left to lose.

With a sudden sense of purpose, he felt his tears begin to subside, his breathing fighting to return to normal. His stomach continued to churn with the anguish that relentlessly swam there, but he felt as if he had a little bit better control over it again.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, Richard held his head in his hands for a few moments, willing himself to shove aside the splintered pieces of his heart. He needed to find a way out of here if he was ever going to find a way to save Kahlan from the Keeper and Darken Rahl.

Getting to his feet, he began to wander around the room, coming to a stop before the window. Peering outside, he found it didn’t offer much of a view or route of escape as he stared at bars lining the window frame.

He was more than taken aback to find himself in a suite rather than a dungeon, but relieved none the less. He would find it easier escaping from here than chained up and held prisoner in the bowels of the Palace surrounded by an army of guards.

Coming to a stop at the door of his suite, he studied it for a long moment, knowing that it wouldn’t be as simple as it appeared. His gaze wondered over the seal of the door, the hinges and door handle. He knew that a mass of soldiers waited outside of his room, waiting for him to make some sort of escape attempt. And he bet that scar face headed up the group.

Reaching out a tentative hand, Richard’s fingers lightly brushed against the handle only to immediately jerk back. He scowled as he shook his hand in an effort to lessen the electric shock that still tingled in his fingers. He cursed under his breath as he backed away from the door.

Making his way to another door on the far side of the room, Richard was stunned to find a bath waiting for him. Walking over to it, he lightly dipped his fingers into the water to find it lukewarm. The idea of a bath suddenly sounded like a small piece of heaven at that point even if it was no longer hot. 

After everything he had been through the last few days, he was more than ready to wash away the dirt and blood that covered him; hopefully drown the anguish he felt inside. It was a constant dreadful reminder of the heavy burden of loss that he now carried.

Sitting down on a bench, he stripped off his clothes before settling into the bath. He leaned back in the tub, his arms draping the edges as he closed his eyes. Although not hot by any means, the water felt incredibly good at that moment.

The whole notion of there being another Rahl, another brother to contend with made his anger flare hotly in his core. This twin brother of Darken’s was no doubt just as evil as his brother had been. Having been raised by a dark sorceress hadn’t helped matters any.

Now, he had to figure out what Demos Rahl was up to, what scheming plans he had concocted and why he had been brought here. Demos no doubt had a reason for kidnapping him like he had. Richard knew, though, that he didn’t have much time to waste trying to figure it all out right now if he wanted to try to find a way to get Kahlan back.

Demos’s delight over Kahlan’s death proved that he would be no help in trying to find a way to save her from the Keeper. To him, it was just one less person who stood in his way of getting whatever it was that Demos wanted so badly.

Drawing a deep breath, Richard began to wonder where Zedd and Cara were right then. Were they trying to get to him? Were they possibly here now? The thought brought him an unexpected measure of peace and reassurance. Zedd would know what needed to be done to rescue Kahlan and bring her back to the world of the living, to his world.

One that didn’t involve her was one not worth living in.

He felt his throat suddenly constrict at the thought of her again, his tears already threatening to overwhelm him once more. He abruptly shoved it aside. He had allowed himself to languish in his grief and anguish for a short time, allowed his tears to fall, but it would do Kahlan no good to continue to allow it to rule over him. He needed to think of the solution, not the problem.

He scrubbed his body with the cake of soap, trying to wash away the pain and the memories of the last few days. He tried to think of a way out of this. Demos had already proven that he was very powerful, able to hold Richard at bay with a simple flick of his hand. He didn’t have his sword either to help him now.

Richard decided he was going to have to play Demos’s game for now, pretend to go along with whatever it was that his new-found half brother had planned. It would be his only way out of here and back to Cara and Zedd. He also knew that he was going to have to be on guard at all times, ready for a surprise rescue should they manage to infiltrate the Palace.

He internally cringed at the thought of them risking their lives to save him, but at the same time, he knew that he needed them if he was ever going to escape and rescue Kahlan. He knew deep within his heart that he would travel to the Underworld just to get her back. He wouldn’t think twice about it.

He’d gone into a rift in order to rescue Zedd. He’d go so much farther than that just for a glimpse of Kahlan’s beautiful face, to see the smile saved for no one but him. The thought of seeing her again caused a small smile to touch his lips. If going to the Underworld was what he had to do, then he would do it without question. He would go to the ends of the world for her.

And he knew without a doubt, she’d do the same for him if she were still alive.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 11

Demos stood in the center of a small circular room that he’d had constructed soon after he had arrived at the Palace. It was lined with stained glass windows, a book resting upon an ornate pedestal sitting in the middle. An enormous red grace marked the floor beneath his boots. Overhead, a large stain glass window allowed sunlight to filter in and illuminate the book’s prominent position in the room, washing it in a bright display of colors. 

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a look of deep concentration fixed on his narrow face. His shoulder length dark hair fell like a curtain around his face as he studied the thick book, his finger abruptly finding the page that he was reading. The long bell shaped sleeves of his black robe brushed against the edges of the wooden pedestal as his finger continued to skim down the length of the page.

His dark brown eyes began to widen as he read, his mind taking him to fantastic places that he had never dreamed was possible within the realm of magic. He was finding that he hadn’t come close to scratching the surface or reaching the pinnacle. He felt now as though he was suddenly standing on the very top of a mountain with limitless possibilities stretching out as far as his eye could see.

He discovered that he had been so limited in his thinking, so narrow minded in his pursuits. If only his mother could see what he had been able to accomplish.

“What is it Egremont?” he finally said, heaving a sigh as he acknowledged the General.

He knew Egremont had been standing there patiently waiting for some time now, but had chosen not to recognize the fact until he had been good and ready. And he still wasn’t ready, but he had grown weary of listening to the man’s breathing, his beady eyes studying his every movement.

“I came to report that there has been no sign of the Wizard and Mord’Sith Cara as of yet,” Egremont announced, straightening to attention with the sudden recognition.

“It’s only a matter of time, Egremont,” he muttered, his focus still consumed with the book before him.

“I thought Commander Caid had said that his men had made sure that the Wizard and Mord’Sith wouldn’t be coming after the Seeker,” Egremont stated in confusion.

“He did,” Demos Rahl patiently replied. “I also know the Wizard of the First Order and Mistress Cara. They won’t be so easily stopped. Has history taught you nothing, my friend?”

Egremont swallowed hard before clearing his throat. “Yes, my Lord,” he humbly replied. “I will make sure that the men stay vigilant in their watch.”

“It’s of no consequence if they do manage to make it past the gates,” Demos told him without looking up, his dark eyes narrowing on a particular passage. “They won’t be able to rescue the Seeker without becoming prisoners as well.”

“Are you certain that the Seeker won’t be able to escape from his suite?” Egremont inquired. “It seems he’d be better kept in the dungeons where he can’t so easily break free.”

“If the Wizard and Mord’Sith do manage to make it past all the guards and enter the Palace, where is the first place that they will look for my brother?”

“The dungeons,” the General replied as he began to nod his head in understanding.

Demos pulled his hair back out of his face before responding. “Exactly,” he murmured. “Besides, I put a magical seal around the door and window to his room. He won’t be getting out any time soon unless I allow it.”

“Forgive me for questioning you, Lord Rahl,” Egremont humbly bowed his head. “I did not mean to presume that you didn’t know what you were doing. I just wanted to make sure that we were prepared for every possibility.”

“Rest assured, Egremont,” Demos said. “The Wizard Zorander and Mistress Cara are no doubt lurking about somewhere close. They won’t stop until they’ve rescued the Seeker. At least we won’t have to worry about dealing with the Mother Confessor anymore.”

“That is fortunate,” he concurred. “The Mother Confessor was very powerful.”

“It is a shame that I won’t get the opportunity to meet her,” the Lord Rahl admitted with a frown. “I would have liked to have gotten to know her for myself, discover if all the rumors about her beauty and strength were true.”

“I can attest that they were all true,” Egremont informed him. “She and the Seeker caused your brother Darken trouble at every single turn.”

“Well then it’s a good thing she’s no longer here to get in my way.”

“I’ll see to it that the Wizard and Mord’Sith won’t be able to enter the city without our knowing about it.”

“Good, inform me when they have been captured.”

“Aye, my Lord,” the General saluted before turning to leave.

Egremont made quick his escape from the presence of the new Lord Rahl. He didn’t know what had come over him, questioning him about his plans. He guessed that he had grown accustomed to Darken Rahl’s habits and shifting dark moods, knowing when to speak and ask questions and when best to remain silent. He supposed that old habits died hard.

He knew that next time he might not be so lucky.

XXX

Richard stared at his filthy, blood stained clothes lying in a pile on the floor, tears swimming in his eyes and obscuring his vision. Discarding those clothes made him feel as though he was throwing Kahlan aside, leaving her behind somehow as if she meant nothing to him when in reality she meant everything. It was like he was somehow giving up on her. It made her death seem all the more real, more final.

He could hardly bear it.

He fought against the overwhelming urge to fall to the floor, to gather the clothes up and hug them to his chest and never let go. He couldn’t let her go, not ever.

Reining in his emotions, Richard smoothed a hand over the red tunic he now wore as he forced himself to walk from the room and into the bedchambers. He felt completely out of place wearing these clothes. He was not the Lord Rahl or one of his advisors. He wanted nothing to do with any of this. He only wanted to escape so he could find Zedd and Cara, find some way to get into the Underworld and rescue Kahlan no matter how impossible or implausible it might sound.

He buckled his scabbard to his waist despite the fact that it was empty. It somehow made him feel a little better having it there at his hip even though it did him no good. He had to find a way out of here first if he was going to get his sword and his Confessor back. 

He wondered where Zedd and Cara were at that moment. Were they close? Working on a plan to rescue him right now? 

He feared for them. Demos Rahl was powerful, possibly more powerful than even his brother Darken. Getting out of this place or into it was not going to be a small feat for any of them, but he was not about to give up and he knew they wouldn’t either.

He knew that Zedd and Cara were probably having a hard time dealing with Kahlan’s death as well. Zedd would no doubt already be working on finding a way to save Kahlan for him. His grandfather knew what she meant to him, that he would stop at nothing until he had gotten her back.

He had taken on countless soldiers and quads, gars and screelings and even Darken Rahl himself. He was more than willing to battle death now in order to save the woman that he loved. Nothing could keep him from getting to her, not even the Keeper himself could get in his way.

Richard felt his resolve hardening within him as he raked his fingers back through his wet hair, strands falling on either side of his forehead as he wandered back over to the window again. Hope began to take root in his heart once more, reminding him that nothing in this world filled with magic was ever final…not even death.

He stared out the window at the sun shining brightly in the afternoon sky. The iron bars on the outside were thick, keeping him prisoner. There was no way that he’d be able to escape that way. There had to be another way out of here. He didn’t even bother trying the door to the suite again. Even if he could get past the magical barrier that held him captive, there would no doubt be dozens of soldiers waiting outside of the suite ready to take him down the second he stepped foot outside of the room.

He was going to have to resign himself to the fact that he was at Demos’s mercy for now. He’d have to wait until the new Lord Rahl decided to come visit him. And he would be back. His brother wanted him here for an important reason. He just didn’t know what that reason was yet. He had no doubt though that he soon would.

XXX

Kahlan pulled the hood of her cloak down a little further, allowing the shadows that it created to veil her identity. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as they approached the gates of the People’s Palace. She cast a furtive glance at the Wizard riding beside her. He too had his hood pulled forward, his shoulders hunched in order to convey a weaker, frailer appearance. She knew that he was anything but and she relied heavily on that fact. They would need his powerful magic to help rescue Richard.

Her fingers tightened around the handle of her dagger she had hidden beneath her cloak. She was more than ready for a fight despite her steadily weakening state in order to get to the man that she loved, more than willing to take them all on in order to free him. She felt a cold clammy sensation creep over her skin, causing her to shiver with the chill that clung to her like the cloak that she wore.

She could feel her life being sapped from her body, her soul slowly dissipating from deep within her. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. She was racing against time, time that was swiftly fleeting away. Her time against Richard’s time. And his was far more important to her than anything in this world.

Kahlan watched as soldiers stood guard outside of the Palace walls while others on horseback wandered in between the throngs of people entering and exiting the main gates. It was obvious they were searching for Zedd and Cara. She was glad that they had split up, Zedd altering Cara’s appearance. It would help buy them the time that they so desperately needed to find a way inside the Palace and get to Richard.

Zedd pulled his horse to a slower gait to keep pace with the stream of people slowly tricking inside the Palace walls. He cast a glance at her out from the edge of his hood, giving her a wink. It brought her a sudden sense of reassurance that she had needed right then. She was unfortunately feeling anything but herself at that moment.

She needed to hold herself together, had to keep going for Richard despite the strength that was rapidly being drained from her body. She felt more like death than life right then, but she quickly shoved it from her mind. 

Instead, she forced herself to focus on Richard, focused her mind on his handsome face, his smile that lit her whole world. She concentrated on her love for him that dwelt deep inside of her heart, that part of her soul that was forever linked to his despite the fact that the Keeper was trying to steal it away to the Underworld.

Her eyes fell on the Palace itself that loomed so ominous and proud behind the wall circling the city, her worried gaze frantically roaming from one window to the next in a futile attempt to catch even a brief glimpse of him. Richard was in there somewhere. She knew it with every fiber of her being. She just had to find a way to get to him, to set him free.

They still didn’t know who it was that had taken him away from them. Whoever it was and whatever the reason was of no consequence to her at that moment. She just wanted her Seeker back. Then, she could confront and deal with the evil that had abruptly inserted themselves into their lives.

Kahlan swore she would confess every last one of them if they hurt him, taking down the one who had taken over the throne of D’Hara. He had wanted Richard for a reason and while that reason scared her, she was more terrified for her Seeker. 

Spirits knew what he was going through right now, what torture he was being forced to endure. It reminded her of when he had been captured by Denna. The sheer panic and fear that had flooded her system after learning he’d been taken to a Mord’Sith training temple had made it nearly impossible to put one foot in front of the other. But she had, for him.

And she wouldn’t let him down this time either.

It was her fault he was a prisoner here in the first place. If she hadn’t distracted him with her melancholy mood over missing her sister then they probably would’ve been able to detect the ambush before they had found themselves being thrust headlong into a deadly battle for their very lives.

She silently cursed at herself for growing so lax, for letting her guard down when Richard had needed her most. She had sworn to protect him and instead she had allowed herself to indulge in his focused attention and nearness to her. She had lost herself in his eyes and in his stories, the sound of his voice strumming the cords of her heart like only he could ever do to her.

“Hey there!” a loud voice suddenly rang out causing Kahlan to immediately tense. “What business do you have here?”

She turned to see a soldier on horseback staring her and Zedd down, a menacing glare boring straight through them as if he could see beneath the cloaks they were wearing, detect their hidden agenda. Kahlan forced a demure smile to her lips despite the urge to rip the man’s throat open with her dagger.

“Excuse us, sir,” Zedd’s unexpectedly feeble sounding voice cut through her deadly intentions. “You see my daughter and I have travelled here from very far away. We come here from Tamarang to seek out a healer that I had heard about. I have a terribly debilitating disease that I seek treatment for.”

The soldier’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he eyed them both suspiciously, his narrowed gaze darting from Zedd to Kahlan and back to the old Wizard again before responding. “Remove your hoods so that I can see your faces,” he coldly demanded.

Kahlan felt her heart leap into her throat with the sudden command. If they saw the length of her hair, they would know who she was, her identity revealed. She hoped that Zedd had a magical trick up his sleeve because they were just about to be caught as the soldier abruptly drew his sword.

“I said remove your hoods,” he demanded a little louder, drawing the attention of the people surrounding them as he pointed his sword at them.

Onlookers suddenly stopped their measured pace into the Palace market place, their attention unexpectedly captured by the small commotion the soldier was creating. People further back stood on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the sudden action, anxious to witness whatever it was that was happening.

Zedd reached for his hood, allowing it to fall back off his head and revealing the disheveled shock of white hair. The soldier studied him for a long moment, sizing him up. The Wizard seemed to shrink even smaller under the withering gaze of the guard as he humbly averted his eyes. Kahlan was surprised at how small and weak he suddenly looked to her.

“Please, sir, let us pass,” Zedd weakly asked again, adding a horrible hacking cough for added emphasis. “I need…to see your healers.”

Kahlan bit her lip as the guard suddenly turned his attention to her. She hoped that maybe word of her demise had already spread to the People’s Palace, giving her the element of surprise or some small advantage. Hopefully they wouldn’t be expecting her since she had presumably died, maybe mistaking her for someone else.

“And you, miss,” the soldier spat out. “Let’s take a look at you too.”

Kahlan did her best to keep the trembling she felt on the inside from reaching her fingers as she slowly reached for the hood of her cloak. Gripping the edges of it, she began to lower her hood, the sunlight beginning to wash over her face when a loud voice rang through the crowds.

“Captain!”

The soldier turned at the sound of his title, a sneer twisting his lips. “What is it?”

“Captain!” the young voice called again. “We have trouble…at the west end of the market place. You’re needed right away. A fight has broken out.”

The soldier snarled something incomprehensible under his breath as he turned his attention back to Kahlan and Zedd. Kahlan could feel sweat begin to trickle down her back despite the frigid chill that had settled into her bones. This was it. They were either going to be granted entrance or they would have to fight their way in.

“You may pass,” he groused as he quickly turned his horse away from them and back towards the main gates.

Kahlan released a sigh of relief as she cast a wary glance at Zedd. The Wizard smiled slyly in return, each knowing that they had just dodged a major catastrophe. Resuming their painstakingly steady pace into the city, they knew that they had been fortunate to make it past.

Now they just had to get to the inn to meet up with Cara so they could plan their next move and get Richard out of this dreadful place.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 12

Cara forced herself to walk slowly through the expansive grounds of the People’s Palace, waiting till the time she was due to meet up with Kahlan and Zedd. Remembering a secret entrance, she had circled back around and snuck in before they had even made it inside the main gates. 

The familiar surroundings of the Palace created an uneasy feeling inside of her that she couldn’t quite explain. She didn’t know if it was being back here after all this time or the way that her Sisters of the Agiel had summarily dismissed her from the sisterhood.

The Mord’Sith quickly brushed it off as nothing more than worry over her Lord Rahl, the overwhelming need to rescue him from whoever had captured him. She didn’t like having their little group separated like this, one of them in danger. 

She could hear the distant chant of worship to the new Lord Rahl carried on the light summer breeze as evening drew closer. It caused her to tense with anger, a prickling sensation that slowly worked its way over her skin. 

Richard Rahl was the true Lord Rahl, not this usurper to the throne. She wanted to hunt him down and remove him with her bare hands, but the true Lord Rahl’s life was at stake. She couldn’t afford to give in to her desires at that moment or at least until she had rescued him. 

She absentmindedly stroked the long braid that she now wore, wondering who could’ve possibly taken over. Whoever was now ruler of D’Hara was claiming to be a Rahl if the throngs of people were reciting the devotion, pledging their lives to him.

It didn’t make any sense. Can’t these people see that he was an imposter? Were they so blind to just follow whoever set themselves up as Lord of D’Hara just because the throne was filled again?”

She didn’t feel any different about the bond that she felt to Lord Richard Rahl except for the fact she could tell they were closer to him than they had been before. In reality, it brought her a tremendous sense of relief to feel the bond so strongly again. It told her not only that he was truly here, but that he was still alive. Beyond that, though, it told her nothing else.

She wished she knew if he was actually alright. She knew all too well what they did with prisoners, especially ones as powerful and as dangerous as the Seeker of Truth. They would go to great lengths to keep enemies like him subdued and under their control.

And Richard knew all too well what was done with prisoners of D’Hara. Mistress Denna had gone to great lengths to show him how guests of the Lord Rahl were treated, to break him into nothing but an obedient pet.

With a growl, Cara suddenly flipped her long black braid back over her shoulder, the feel of the heavy plait lightly bouncing against her back with her movements annoying her. She had unexpectedly grown used to not having it any more. Having it now was more of a constant irritant, a reminder of what she once had been and who she never wanted to be again.

Thanks to Richard Rahl, she would never have to be that person ever again. She was still trying to find her way, discover exactly who she was, but she did know she never wanted to be the cold merciless mercenary that she had once been, unfeeling and uncaring.

Richard Rahl had opened her eyes to a whole new world, opened her heart to things that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She was rediscovering herself, finding that she was worth so much more than she had been taught to believe. He had shown her compassion, giving her a second chance. For that, she would be eternally grateful.

Seeing a couple of Mord’Sith coming towards her, Cara switched routes, taking a side path that would eventually divert her back towards the market place and eventually the Black Crow Inn. She couldn’t afford being discovered just yet.

The two Mistresses were deep in conversation, not even paying attention to their fellow Sister of the Agiel as they continued to make their way through the grounds, taking the main path. They seemed to have a higher priority than being on the lookout for her. Cara knew that not everyone would be so oblivious to her presence. With or without the black hair, she would eventually be recognized by someone.

She held her head high, her gait determined as she approached the crowded market. A Mord’Sith acting discreet or walking with her head lowered would only draw unwanted attention. Despite the risk of being recognized, it was best to just natural, be herself.

Cara found that no one paid her any attention as she dissolved into the crowds, everyone more concerned about their own affairs than a lone Mord’Sith making her way through the busy streets.

D’Haran soldiers filtered through the swarms of people, looking at faces and stopping to ask questions. They were obviously searching for any signs that she and Zedd had arrived. There were never this many soldiers in the market place unless there was a problem or a disturbance of some kind.

She was suddenly very grateful for the long black braid. No one seemed to even notice her as she passed vendors, pushing past shoppers. The soldiers didn’t even appear to notice her. Of course, why would they? They were looking for a blond-haired Mord’Sith with shoulder length hair, not one with black hair and a long braid.

“Have you seen an old wizard with a blond Mord’Sith in the city?”

Cara almost froze in mid-step as she passed by a hulk of a soldier with a severe scar on his face questioning a man selling knives. Her fingers circling the top of her agiel as she slowly made her way past, her emerald gaze locked straight ahead of her. She didn’t dare make eye contact with any of them. Any one of the soldiers might recognize her.

“No, no one like that here that I’ve seen,” the merchant shook his head as he stroked his chin in thought. “But of course, it’s been very busy. Lots of people coming through here today so it’s difficult to say for sure.”

“The Wizard is tall with white hair, the Mord’Sith smaller with blond hair,” the soldier tried again.

“No, I don’t believe so,” the man repeated. “Let me think.”

Cara quickly ducked into a small shop selling figurines and talismans of all sorts used to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. She stared out the window watching the soldier talk to the merchant. The soldier had a jagged red scar running the length of his face from above his eye to his jaw, his eyes dark and menacing.

He looked familiar to her for some reason, but she couldn’t quite figure out how. She didn’t believe that she knew him from her time here at the Palace. It seemed to her that she had seen him before, some place other than here, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

A small woman suddenly appeared at the Mord’Sith’s side, her hands finding the pockets of her apron. “Something I can help you find, Mistress?”

Cara looked down at the woman with a frown. “No, I was just looking,” she curtly replied, turning her attention back to the window.

“You look familiar,” the old woman said with a curious tilt of her head as she studied Cara. 

“I’m Mord’Sith,” she frowned as she watched the soldiers finally walk away. “We all look alike.”

“Yes, but there’s something about you that…”

Cara didn’t wait for her to finish her thought as she quickly ducked back outside again into the late afternoon sun and into the waiting throngs of people. She needed to get to the tavern quickly before she ran into any more curious people. Zedd and Kahlan should be there soon as long as they didn’t run into any trouble of their own.

Of course, knowing those two, she could only begin to imagine.

XXX

Richard paced the room for at least the hundredth time waiting for something to happen. It was only a matter of time before it did. Demos Rahl didn’t bring him here to just keep him locked in this suite for the rest of his life.

No, he had a very good reason. Richard just couldn’t begin to imagine what that reason might be. Besides, he needed out of here so he could find Zedd and Cara and save Kahlan. It was the only thing he had to hold onto right now, giving him the slightest bit of hope. 

It was the only thing keeping him sane right now.

Every other thought only dragged him back into the bottomless pit of anguish and despair that threatened to rip him apart. He couldn’t afford to be plunged back into that hopeless chasm, to be dragged beneath those suffocating waves that continually crashed over him.

This was at least keeping him upright, keeping him functioning and putting one foot in front of the other. The only other option was to lie down and die. And he knew that Kahlan would never forgive him if he chose to do that.

He heaved a frustrated sigh as he came to a stop, folding his arms against his chest as he studied the wall again. He had studied every angle of both rooms, searching for any chink in the wall that might lead to a secret door, anything that he could use to defend himself. Unfortunately, he had come up empty handed. If truth be told, he hadn’t been that hopeful to begin with.

Demos would’ve made certain that he would not find a way to escape or anything that could be turned into a weapon. No, the new Lord Rahl had a reason for keeping him prisoner in a luxurious suite instead of in the dungeons chained up like a dangerous animal.

Richard just didn’t know if it was over confidence in his magical abilities or some other secret agenda. He had a feeling he would find out soon enough, though.

Walking over to the window, he looked out over the market place that sat in the distance. People swarmed about like bugs crawling all over a picnic feast as they went about their day. He tried to make out who they might be, squinted his eyes to see if he could pick out Zedd or Cara among the crowds, but it was pointless. He was too far away to be able to make the people out.

He closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the window frame, the loneliness that consumed him beginning to rise from his core. Spirits, he missed her so much. It made it nearly impossible to breathe sometimes.

Richard turned at the sound of the door opening to find Demos Rahl entering the room. He wore the same black robes he had seen him in earlier, his dark hair tied behind his neck. He wore a smile that was anything but friendly or reassuring. Instead, it created an icy feeling of dread in the pit of Richard’s stomach. He was finally here with what he really wanted from him.

“I see you found the bath and the clean clothes I had left for you,” Demos pleasantly said as he closed the door behind him. “I thought you’d be more comfortable here rather than in the dungeons.”

“What do you want?” Richard demanded as he turned to face him, not the least bit interested in pleasantries or small talk.

“Direct, aren’t you?”

“You brought me here for reason,” he replied, his arms still folded against his chest as he glared at the man. “Now, what is it?”

“I admit that I do have my reasons for capturing you and bringing you here,” he slowly said, leaning against the edge of a table. “It was unfortunate that the Mother Confessor had to lose her life in the process, though.”

“What do you want?” Richard bit out, anger dripping with every emphasized word with the mention of Kahlan.

“There is something that I want and something that you want? Agreed?” Demos calmly pointed out.

Richard just glowered at the man, his steadily darkening expression matching the furious firestorm that raged inside of him. He ground his teeth in an effort to keep his fury in check, to keep from ripping this man apart. It meant nothing to him that he was his half brother. Blood did not always make someone family.

Demos stared at the Seeker for a long moment, the anger seething inside evident in his brown eyes. “I think we might be able to help each other, brother.”

“I’m not your brother,” the Seeker hissed.

“Be that as it may, I have a bargain for you,” Demos said as he stood up and began to pace about the room.

“I will not help you,” Richard sneered as he turned his back to him.

“Even if it means saving your beloved Confessor from the Keeper?”

Demos watched as Richard suddenly stiffened, his entire body tensing. The Seeker slowly turned back to face him, the lines around his eyes softening slightly.

“What do you want?”

“If you help me get what I want, I will not only help you save your precious Confessor, but I will also grant you both your freedom,” Demos smiled.

Richard stared in stunned disbelief at him for a long moment, trying to decide if what he was hearing could even remotely be the truth. He knew without a second thought that he would do whatever he had to do, give whatever he had to give in order to get her back. It wasn’t even a question in his mind.

But could he help his evil brother get whatever it was that he wanted if it ended up harming other people?

“Why do you need my help?” Richard finally asked, needing to know how much it could possibly cost the world for his selfish desires. “You’re the ruler of D’Hara now. What could you possibly want?”

“While it is true that I already have what I’ve always wanted, I’m afraid that there are still other things that elude me, things that I want.”

Richard stared him down, waiting…wondering. Tension hung in the air like a smothering blanket threatening to choke the life out of them as his heart pounded in nervous anticipation in his chest. His life, his future rested on what his brother would say next.

“A pendant,” Demos finally said, the request rolling off of his tongue as his dark eyes widened with the lust for what eluded his possession.

“A pendant?” 

Richard’s brown eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing. He was stunned to hear the object of his brother’s inner-most desires. It wasn’t what he had anticipated at all.

“Yes, but not just any pendant, Richard,” Demos elaborated, a wicked smile spreading across his face and causing a chill to shiver up Richard’s spine. “This is a very special necklace.”

“And what is so special about it?”

“It’s a tooth necklace with runes and markings on it.”

Richard felt his stomach drop into his boots, the feel of his tooth pendant suddenly very hot against his skin. His father had given him this tooth pendant. It was all he had left of him. It meant everything to him...but she meant even more. 

Without another thought, he reached inside his tunic, pulling the leather thong from his neck. Holding his hand out, he willingly offered it up to his brother.

“Take it…it’s yours,” Richard said with a deadly calm that stunned Demos. “Now how do I get Kahlan back?”

Demos stared at the tooth pendant lying in his brother’s hand, his heart suddenly racing with what he saw. His throat went dry as he slowly, tentatively reached out his hand for the offered prize. His finger gingerly ran over the tooth, savoring the smoothness, thrilled by the rough dips and curves of the runes that marked it.

And then it was suddenly gone.

Startled, Demos looked up into the Seeker’s face, the fury dancing in his eyes brighter than ever before.

“Bring back Kahlan,” Richard heatedly stated, his voice almost hoarse with the emotions thundering through his system. His fingers were wrapped protectively around the tooth pendant, knowing deep down that Demos could very easily rip it from his grasp with his powerful magic.

“It’s a very generous offer, but that is not the tooth pendant I require,” Demos softly informed him as he turned his back to him.

“Then what do you want?” the Seeker asked, refastening his pendant around his neck where it belonged.

“The one that I seek is similar to yours, but it’s not the one that you possess.”

“What do you mean?”

“The tooth pendant that I seek is even more special than yours.”

“Why can’t you just get it yourself or send someone else to get it for you? Why do you need me?”

“Because only the true rightful owner of your tooth pendant can retrieve the one that I want.”

“Why? Where is it?”

“It’s located near the Deep Nothing.”

“The Deep Nothing? How am I supposed to go into the Deep Nothing when I don’t have my sword,” Richard reminded him, showing him the empty scabbard. “Remember?”

“You’re the Seeker. I’m sure you are resourceful enough to find your way without it,” Demos shrugged indifferently. “Besides, if you retrieve what I want, you will get your Kahlan back. I’m sure that will be motivation enough for you.”

“How do I know that you can even bring her back from the Underworld? Seems to me it would benefit you most keeping Kahlan there. Her death ensures the Keeper’s eventual escape from the Underworld since her pure heart is no longer beating.”

Richard felt a cold sweat break out over his entire body as he spoke about Kahlan. All of this talk about her and her death was causing the reality of it to press in on him from every side, crushing his heart. He didn’t know if he was going to be able to survive this life much longer without her.

“Let’s just say that I would prefer for the Keeper to stay in the Underworld so that I can rule the world of the living,” Demos informed him. “Just because I can command dark magic doesn’t mean that I worship at the feet of the Keeper like our brother Darken did.”

“That still doesn’t guarantee you know how to save Kahlan or that you will,” Richard stated, weighing the information that he had just learned.

“I guess you don’t, but what have you got to lose?” Demos asked with a cocked eyebrow. “You yourself said you were dead without her. Isn’t it worth the risk to trust me, knowing that you just might get to see her again?”

Richard’s heart suddenly stuttered at the thought of seeing Kahlan again, holding her in his arms, kissing her and never letting her go. He knew that he might as well be making a deal with the Keeper himself, but how could he not risk everything for the woman he loved?


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 13

“What’s so special about this tooth that you want me to get it for you?” Richard asked, his voice hard as steel as he wrestled with his warring emotions.

Anguish vied with hope, fear with utter relief, love with desperation…the desires of his heart with the logic that relentlessly churned in his head.

“I suppose you know how your tooth pendant came to be?” Demos began, pausing for only a moment to take note of the flickering look of surprise on his brother’s face before proceeding. “Your father, George Cypher, killed the beast that protected the Book of Counted Shadows. He took a tooth from the beast and gave it to you to be the protector of the book.”

“I know all this,” Richard scowled in frustration, clenching his jaw. No one was supposed to know. “The question is how do you know?”

“Let’s just say that I always do my homework,” the Lord Rahl smoothly replied, stopping to lean against the wooden table again, his hands coming to rest on either side of him on the edge of it. “I never go into any situation without knowing all of the facts. I don’t like being caught off guard.”

“So how did this other tooth pendant come to exist?”

“Well, that’s the most interesting part of this whole story,” Demos said, his dark eyes practically glowing with excitement. “You see your tooth pendant holds the key to retrieving the one that I want. They are linked by magic in a way.”

“I don’t understand,” the Seeker’s brow creased as his gaze narrowed. “How can that be? My tooth pendant has been in the Midlands all these years since my father took it.”

“I’m afraid I told you all that I know,” his brother said with a small shrug before suddenly straightening up as if the conversation was over. “I want the pendant; your tooth pendant is the key to it. Bring me back the pendant and I’ll resurrect your dead Confessor.”

“I thought you said that you always do your homework?” he frowned.

“I have,” Demos calmly stated. “I’m afraid that there’s not much more information to be found.”

“What special magic does this pendant hold that you want it so badly?”

The Lord Rahl crossed his arms against his chest. “That is not something that you need to know in order to find it for me. I told you all that you need to know to retrieve it.”

“I won’t do it unless I know what you want it for,” Richard firmly stated, his raptor gaze darkening like smoldering embers.

“So willing to let your precious Confessor suffer unimaginable pain and punishment at the hands of our brother and the Keeper in the Underworld?” he questioned him with a derisive smirk that made the Seeker’s blood suddenly run hot with growing rage.

Richard took a threatening step towards him, his chest beginning to heave. “I still don’t have any guarantees that you will even bring her back to me if I do find the pendant you so desperately want.”

“I told you that was a risk that you were going to have to take if you ever want to see her alive and well again,” Demos reminded him with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Now, do you want to know what you need to do next in order to save Kahlan Amnell or not? Her fate is resting in your hands, brother.”

Richard stared at him for a long moment, knowing that this man could not be trusted. He also knew without question that he would go along with this no matter where it took him if there was even the slightest hope that Kahlan could be saved. 

“What else do I need to know?”

“I’m sending Commander Caid and some of his men with you to make sure that you are successful in your mission,” Demos told him. “He will make sure that you are safely delivered to your destination and also that you return with what I want.”

Richard could barely subdue the smile that was forcing its way to the surface with the mention of Caid and his men. He knew that he’d have to watch his back if Ingram was part of this quest he was being sent on. The man wanted him dead for some unknown reason. He wouldn’t let scar face get in the way of getting Kahlan back.

“Fine,” the Seeker bit out.

“I knew you’d see it my way, brother,” Demos beamed. 

“I am not your brother,” Richard sneered. “I will do it…for Kahlan. She is the only reason that I help you.”

“Of course,” the Lord Rahl waved his hand as if brushing it all off as insignificant. “I knew that you wouldn’t be doing it for me. I think you’ll find, Richard, I’m nothing like our brother Darken. I am a very fair, understanding man.”

“You have yet to prove that to me,” he replied as a thought suddenly struck him. “What would you have done had Kahlan not died in that attack? What would you have used to force me into helping you?”

“To tell you the truth, you and the Mother Confessor were both supposed to be captured and brought to me,” Demos admitted with a sigh. “She was always part of my plan, going to be the pawn I used to force you into getting me what I want. 

"For her, I knew that you’d do anything. It was just fortunate for me that she did die. It saved me the trouble of torturing her just to get you to cooperate.”

Richard sharply sucked in a breath, doing his best to control the fury pounding through him. He loathed the fact that Kahlan had paid such a high price just so that this monster could get what he wanted. 

He still felt the horrible weight of guilt for her death, feeling that it had been his fault that she was gone. It was because of him that she had died, but it would be because of him that she lived again. Of that, he was certain. He would not allow her to stay in the Underworld.

“Nonetheless, I hope that you will be comfortable here tonight,” Demos said, interrupting Richard’s thoughts as he made his way to the door. “I’ll have your dinner sent up to you. You will leave at first light so get a good night’s sleep. You have an important mission that awaits you.”

Richard watched as he left, listening as the bolt on the door loudly clicked into place. He was sure the magical shield had been erected again as well. Slowly making his way back to the window, he stared out into the growing darkness as he began to wonder what exactly he had gotten himself into.

He could tell Demos was lying. He was withholding information from him, something important that could help him in his new quest. But his new found “brother” wasn’t going to share it with him any time soon.

He knew that he didn’t have much of a choice and he didn’t really care. He had to get Kahlan back and nothing was going to stand in his way of doing that. He would not allow her to suffer in the Underworld one moment longer than absolutely necessary. He would make this trip to the Deep Nothing, find the pendant and bring it back.

And Demos would have it…once he had Kahlan.

XXX

Kahlan’s marine blue eyes stared out over the rim of her cup at the crowded tavern as she took a long drink of her hot tea, her anxious gaze studying every face that surrounded her. She just hoped that no one would recognize them, but so far everyone seemed to be preoccupied with their own business to concern themselves with the newest arrivals to the People’s Palace.

The low humming din of the crowded tavern was interrupted with an occasional outburst of rolling laughter that seemed to rattle the walls. Scantily clad women with ample bosoms roamed about the large dimly lit room, delivering trays full of ale and plates piled high with food to various tables. 

Kahlan could practically hear Zedd’s stomach grumbling its protest at not being fed yet, but she had insisted they waited until Cara had arrived. He had grudgingly complied, pulling a persimmon from his cloak pocket to keep himself occupied until her arrival.

Her slender fingers curled around her tin cup, using the warmth emanating from her hot tea to try and thaw her. She felt as though she was frozen from the inside out, frost forming in her veins and chilling her clear to the bone. She fought to keep her teeth from chattering as she took another sip of tea.

She wished that Cara would get here so they could make their plans. Every moment that ticked by left Richard in the hands of the monster that now ruled D’Hara in Darken Rahl’s place. She shuddered to think what was happening to him right now, the horrible torture that he was no doubt enduring because she had not been fast enough or strong enough to stop them from taking him.

Kahlan remembered all too well the terrible nightmares that had haunted Richard’s sleep the nights following his rescue from Mistress Denna and the Mord’Sith training temple. It had killed her inside watching him suffer in silence because of her when she had wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to give every part of herself to him and take away every ounce of his pain.

But she couldn’t. 

It had been her words that had caused him to pull away from her back then, her failure to tell him what she should have told him from the beginning. She could see the hurt swimming in his eyes every time that he had looked at her for days and weeks after that. It had taken time, but the grief had finally disappeared from his chestnut brown eyes. She had sworn to herself she would never be the reason for that hurt to fill his beautiful eyes again.

And now, he was being tortured once again because of her failure. She couldn’t bear it.

Kahlan’s eyes flashed icy blue with a deadly intent that spoke volumes of her desperate need to get Richard back. When they had been separated while he was training at the Palace of the Prophets, she’d struggled with overwhelming loneliness the likes of which she’d never known, but she’d been able to endure it because she knew that he was safe and that it was important in order to save his life.

But this was so very different. He was in the dead center of the dark wickedness that threatened their very existence. He was with someone who could take him away from her forever. And that was something that she couldn’t even begin to imagine let alone accept.

Then again, what would she do if she really had to let him go to take a mate? How would she ever learn to live without him if he was unable to find a way around her magic?

She suddenly felt nauseated with the thought, a sharp pain erupting in her chest as if a dagger had just found her heart.

A sudden gentle hand on her forearm pulled her from her tormented thoughts. She turned to look into the kind eyes of the old Wizard sitting beside her. He squeezed her arm affectionately.

“It’ll be alright, my dear,” Zedd softly reassured her with a smile. “We’ll get Richard out of there and find a way to keep you here with us where you belong.”

“It’s not me that I’m worried about,” she whispered, afraid to test her voice any further, averting her eyes to keep the tears that threatened to form at bay.

“Richard’s strong, Kahlan,” he reminded her. “He can survive anything. Have faith in him, in his love for you. You know he’ll do whatever it takes to get back to you, no matter how long it takes.”

“He thinks I’m dead, Zedd,” she replied, closing her eyes and shaking her head at the thought. “I wouldn’t want to go on without him if it was me.”

Zedd hated to admit it, but that did make things a little more worrisome. He knew how deeply his grandson loved Kahlan, how his world revolved around her. If he believed she was dead…there was no telling how he would react or what he would do now. It was impossible to predict.

The rage of the Seeker was terrifying to witness; coupled with the anguish of a devastated heart would be unimaginable to behold. How could he even begin to comfort her, assuage her worries when he was just as worried as she was?

“Kahlan, I…” he began before suddenly closing his mouth, not even sure what he could say to her that help make everything alright again.

“There’s Cara,” Kahlan suddenly pointed out, nodding her head in the direction of the Mord’Sith stealthy making her way to their table, her head lowered, her green eyes stealthily taking in her surroundings.

Cara had a grim look on her face which was not unusual for her, but it somehow seemed more severe to Kahlan. She was still taken aback by her long black hair, the severity behind her altered appearance very dramatic.

“What is it? Did something happen?” she quietly asked, leaning forward in her chair as Cara settled down into a chair across the table from her.

“Security has definitely been increased around here,” she informed them as she leaned forward as well, her arms coming to rest on the table as she clasped her hands together. “Soldiers are roaming everywhere, asking everyone questions about Zedd and me. They have the whole city on alert.”

“I was afraid of that,” Zedd heavily sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “We’re going to have to be very careful if we’re going to get Richard out of there.”

“It’s going to be next to impossible,” Cara admitted with a frown. “The soldiers have everyone on the lookout for us.”

“Everyone thinks I’m dead,” Kahlan reminded them. “We can use that to our advantage.”

“How so?” Zedd asked, the wrinkles in his forehead deepening in thought.

“Have Cara take me into the Palace as her prisoner,” Kahlan suggested. “She could take me to the new Lord Rahl pretending to have captured me trying to rescue Richard. When I get near him, I’ll confess him.”

“No, I don’t like it,” Cara immediately said, shaking her head in disapproval as she pursed her lips.

“Cara, what other choice do we have?” the Mother Confessor hissed, doing her best to keep her voice low despite the desperation rapidly rising inside of her.

“There has to be a better way than risking your life,” Cara spat out. “Sacrificing yourself is out of the question.”

“How would I be sacrificing myself?” Kahlan questioned her. “I can still use my magic. I’ll confess him, force him to release Richard.”

“And then what?” Cara snapped, cocking a blond eyebrow with a tilt of her head. “You collapse to the ground and I’m left to fight his enraged soldiers by myself while trying to keep you from getting killed in the process.”

“It will work,” Kahlan angrily insisted, her frustration mounting. “I will force him to give us Richard.”

“I have to agree with Cara on this one, Kahlan,” Zedd grimly interjected. “You are not exactly in the best shape to put yourself right in the center of the fire.”

“I’m fine,” she bit out through gritted teeth. “I will get through it to save Richard.”

“Kahlan, you’re growing weaker all the time,” Cara told her. “Pretty soon you won’t be able to hold yourself up. What am I supposed to do when I get you half way inside the Palace and you suddenly collapse on me? What will I do then? Fight my way out against an entire army while trying to drag your body out?”

“I can do this,” she growled. “I have to for Richard. I can’t let him stay in there any longer.”

“I want to rescue him too, but I’m not willing to risk your life to do it,” Cara heatedly stated. “Lord Rahl will have our heads if we put you in the middle of this. We will find another way.”

“He already thinks I’m dead!” Kahlan yelled.

“Hey you!”

All three of them suddenly froze, fearing they had just been discovered. Kahlan and Zedd looked to see a hulk of a man with greasy black hair and missing teeth coming their way. Out of the corner of her eye, the Mother Confessor could see Cara’s hand slowly slipping beneath the table and reaching for her agiel at the same time that Kahlan went for her daggers.

They each waited with bated breath, each fearing the worse. All of their planning wasn’t going to do them any good if they were captured or dead.

“I see you cowering back there,” he bellowed. “No use trying to hide.”

Kahlan felt her pulse race, her heart about to burst from her chest the closer he got to them. She tightened her grip on the handle of her dagger she kept hidden beneath their table. She was not about to be taken without a fight.

Her fingers began to ache from the death grip she held on her dagger, her fierce glare locked on the scowling beast lumbering closer to them. She tried to relax her muscles, but her entire body was coiled tight, ready to unleash her anger and frustration.

“You owe me money and I want it now!” the man yelled as he marched past them to a small nearby table surrounded by equally vile looking men.

They all released a united breath, relieved that they hadn’t been discovered yet. Cara glanced at them with an expression that Kahlan thought probably mirrored her own.

Placing her dagger back into her boot, Kahlan sank back in her chair once more. “That was too close.”

“I was able to get us three rooms upstairs,” Zedd informed them with a nervous glance about the room. “I think we should get our dinner and continue our discussion up there where we aren’t out in the public eye.”

Kahlan nodded in agreement. Although everyone in the tavern appeared to be wrapped up in their own business, it only took one to recognize them and then it would all be over. She knew their chances of getting Richard then would evaporate just like smoke in the wind.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 14

From the solitude of her room in the upstairs of the tavern, Kahlan stood staring out the window, her forehead pressed lightly against the glass. Her thoughts were completely absorbed with the Palace silently mocking her in the distance, so close but not nearly close enough, imprisoning what she loved most and keeping her from being with him like they were meant to be. 

Her hardened gaze had already studied every single window at least three times, hoping to see something that told her that Richard was alright. She wanted more than anything to see past the thick layers of stone and mortar that separated her from him, to see with her own eyes that he was still alive and fighting to return to them despite the fact that he believed she was dead. He just couldn’t give up hope, not now when they were so close to setting him free.

But she knew that he wouldn’t be there where she could catch even a glimpse of him. He was no doubt locked away in some pit beneath the Palace, a prisoner in the dungeons or strung up like some animal in a Mord’Sith training room that had become his new home.

She shuddered at the thought, swallowing back the thick knot that suddenly filled it. She couldn’t stand the idea of him being tortured like that again, beaten and broken like he was nothing. Once had been once too often. That time had been her fault as well. She still felt the guilt of it lingering inside her soul, remembering all too well how she had betrayed him by leaving him to go on without her. 

She had truly believed at the time that she had been doing the right thing by leaving him, saving him from her, but it hadn’t turned out that way. In reality, she had been running away from him, from her growing feelings for him and it had nearly cost him his life, his very soul at the hands of Denna.

Kahlan was more than anxious to get inside that Palace now and confess the vile creature who had orchestrated all of this. Her fingers were itching to encircle the miserable throat of the person who had taken Richard from her, the one who had stolen her life.

Stifling a yawn, she wearily rubbed her arms in a futile attempt to warm herself. She wished that she’d been able to get more sleep, but her mind had only rested long enough for her to get a few hours of restless slumber at best. They had stayed up for hours last night trying to come up with a way inside of the People’s Palace, arguing and plotting but to no avail. They were still left with her original plan that no one but her wanted to follow. 

Pressing her forehead against the window again, she watched as the dark shadows of night steadily turned to gray, dawn’s rays cutting through the misty morning air. The sooner they did this, the sooner they could get Richard out of there and away from the hell that he was probably going through right now. 

Had he truly given up hope? Did he truly believe that she was dead?

She couldn’t begin to imagine what he was going through at that moment, the physical and emotional turmoil that was eating away at his sanity. It took every ounce of strength she had not to race into that Palace herself, confessing every last one of them in order to rescue him.

“Did you sleep at all last night?”

Kahlan didn’t bother turning around. “Some,” she softly replied to the Mord’Sith she could feel standing behind her studying her.

“It’s not enough,” Cara huffed. “You look worse every day that passes. You need as much sleep as possible if we’re going to rescue Lord Rahl.”

“Thanks,” Kahlan’s cool clipped tone pierced the air. “I need more than sleep. I need Richard back with us.”

“Kahlan, I’m worried about you,” the Mord’Sith finally admitted after several long moments of silence. “I don’t think you’re up for this. I’m not even sure if you’ll survive it.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, keeping her forehead pressed to the window, her arms folded tightly against her body.

“I can take Zedd instead,” Cara suggested, watching the Mother Confessor from across the room. “He can use his magic on him; force him to release Lord Rahl. We’ll bring him to you as soon as we free him.”

“It won’t work,” Kahlan slightly shook her head, her tone dead. “I have to confess him. It’s the only way out of this. We have to find out what he wants Richard for, what he’s truly up to.”

“Fine,” Cara angrily bit out. “But don’t expect me to be able to save you if this doesn’t work. I’ll be too busy trying to stop an army to worry about dragging you out of there.”

Kahlan couldn’t subdue the hint of a smile that tugged at the corners of her lips with the Mord’Sith’s words, knowing that worry for her was at the heart of her anger. “I won’t.”

Kahlan knew in her heart that she’d rather die than try to survive in a world without Richard. She bit her bottom lip at the thought of never seeing him again, knowing that her life was rapidly slipping away as her soul returned to the Underworld and the Keeper who waited for her.

“You’re impossible!” Cara snorted, throwing up her hands in exasperation.

Kahlan heard the door slam behind her, but still she didn’t turn around. She just wanted to save Richard. That’s all that mattered in this world to her. Her life mattered little compared to his.

XXX

He stood with his shoulder leaning against the window frame in his suite, his arms folded over his chest as he watched the last remnants of morning fog gradually dissipate. His brown eyes wandered over the view of the city that his perch inside the Palace allotted him, wondering if Zedd and Cara were somewhere nearby.

He hoped that they were alright. He hated the thought of them risking their lives to save him, but he knew that they would regardless of his wishes. He could only imagine how agitated Cara must be by now, knowing that she hadn’t been able to rescue him yet. It brought a faint smile to his lips.

Thoughts of his friends quickly shifted to the one person his thoughts were never far from, the one who consumed every part of his being. He missed her so fiercely that he could scarcely breathe at times, his desperate need to see her, to hold her building to unbearable heights.

He didn’t want to live without her. He wasn’t alive when he wasn’t with her.

To be one heart, one soul, one body with her was all he had ever wanted in this life. And he would have it, would get her back. He was not about to allow her to stay in the Underworld with his vile brother and the Keeper, subjected to their every depraved whim.

Richard watched as houses and stores began to come to life, lanterns casting a soft glow in an attempt to banish night’s lingering shadows. Groups of patrolling soldiers roamed the streets, no doubt on a mission to find Zedd and Cara before they found him. 

They wouldn’t be looking for the Mother Confessor’s arrival, though. It broke his heart to know that she wouldn’t be coming for him ever again.

He squeezed his eyes closed against the images of Kahlan lying so still on the ground, her face so ghostly pale as her blood seeped into the ground beneath her as they dragged him into the forest and away from her. If he just could have broken free from those soldiers, gotten her to Cara in time then she would still be alive.

He should’ve done a thousand things differently, things that could’ve altered events in a way that would’ve ensured Kahlan’s safety. If he had only chosen a different route to take, had been more aware of his surroundings instead of allowing himself to be captivated by her nearness. He should’ve stayed closer to her instead of allowing those men to separate them like they had in battle, should’ve fought harder. 

Now, she was dead, suffering because of him. How could he still be so angry with her for dying on him when it had ultimately been his fault? Guilt cascaded through him in waves as overwhelming grief burned through his veins, warring emotions coalescing in his soul. He was her Seeker, her friend, her would-be lover, sworn to protect her at all cost. She had loved him, trusted and believed in him and he had failed her.

Her promise to him made so long ago unexpectedly echoed in his ears, her pledge to stay with him and protect him reminding him once more how alone he was. She had failed him as well. 

Kahlan had promised to never leave him again after she had rescued him from Mistress Denna and yet she had. She had left him alone in a quest that he no longer wanted, in a life he had neither the will nor desire to live.

Richard’s jaw clenched tight, his nostrils flaring from the enormity of his anguish and hurt. Despite his anger with her, he wanted her back where she belonged with him, always with him.

Zedd had warned him once long ago that Kahlan would eventually have to leave them to take a mate and continue the line of Confessors, but Richard had vowed that would never happen. He’d never allow it. Just the thought of her lying with another man, kissing and touching him, being touched and pleasured in ways that he had only dreamed of suddenly made him ill to his very core.

His hands abruptly grasped the frame of the window, his fingernails digging into the wood as he fought back the bile rising in his throat, the fierce jealousy that inundated him at that moment. He didn’t know which would have been worse – losing her in death or losing her to another man. Both were unacceptable, unimaginable.

He felt his heart pounding in his chest, knowing beyond any shadow of a doubt that they were meant to be together. She was meant for no other man, but him. He was meant for no other woman, but her. He believed that with every fiber of his being.

Then why had the good spirits so viciously taken her from him?

The sudden clicking of the bolt caused him to abruptly stiffen. It was time. His brother was finally here to send him on his new mission, the one that would bring Kahlan back to him. The thought brought him an unexpected measure of peace and hope, knowing that when this was all over he’d have Kahlan back in his arms once again.

Richard didn’t bother turning around as the door opened and closed. He knew that his brother was there. He could feel the sudden darkness that crept into the room with his presence, the sense of wickedness that abruptly permeated the air.

“It’s time, brother,” Demos solemnly announced. “I pray that you slept well.”

“Enough,” Richard muttered. 

If truth be told, he hadn’t slept well at all, his mind consumed with Kahlan and the moment when he would finally be reunited with her, only to wake with a sharp panic in this chest that he had woken with every morning since losing her. It was his constant companion now, one that had replaced his Confessor.

“Well, let’s hope it’s enough to help you accomplish your mission.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to save Kahlan,” he coolly replied, finally turning around to face his brother.

“I’m afraid that word of the Mother Confessor’s death has blazed through the People’s Palace like a wildfire. It won’t be long until news of her untimely demise reaches Aydindril,” he informed the Seeker. “Hopefully, your quick return with my pendant will rectify that news.”

“I will get you what you want,” he bit out. “Just be prepared to bring Kahlan back the moment I return.”

Demos studied him for a long moment, the fiery rage burning in the Seeker’s brown eyes unsettling to witness. “I brought you some clothes more suitable for travel. I think you will be satisfied.”

Richard looked to see a blue shirt and brown breeches identical to the clothes he usually wore lying on a nearby chair. It caused his chest to constrict to see the new clothes, so similar to the ones that had been stained by Kahlan’s blood. He felt an icy cold shiver race through him with the reminder of the horror of losing her in such a violent way.

“Once you’ve changed, Commander Caid will escort you to your horse,” Demos instructed him. “The rest is in your hands, Seeker…or should I say Kahlan’s life is still in your hands.”

He bristled with his brother’s words. He knew that her life had always been in his hands, so precious and utterly beautiful to him and he had lost it. But he would get her back. Of that, he was more certain now than ever.

“Oh and one more thing,” Demos suddenly said, pausing as he reached for the door. “To ensure your absolute cooperation in this, I will start executing one D’Haran child every day that you do not return after five days.”

Richard abruptly froze, his body seized by the fury suddenly pumping through his veins at that moment. “There is no need to do that,” he hissed, his voice full of venom.

“Just ensuring your return, my brother,” he sweetly replied, his hand lingering on the handle of the door. “I can’t have you taking off on me now can I?”

“I gave you my word that I would return with the pendant,” Richard yelled. “You’ve already taken Kahlan from me. There’s no need to make others suffer as well.”

“I’ve given you five days,” he calmly said. “I think that’s more than fair. It gives you plenty of time to get there, find the pendant, and return to your precious Confessor.”

“I don’t even know where in the Deep Nothing I’m supposed to go!” he shouted at him, his hands clenching tightly into fists demanding to unleash his fury.

“Everything that you need is waiting for you with your horse,” Demos informed him. “I suggest you hurry. Every moment that slips by is more than precious I would say, isn’t it now?”

Richard growled under his breath as he watched Demos leave, his chest heaving. If it wasn’t unbearable enough being forced to deal with losing Kahlan, he now would have to live with the guilt of knowing children were being sacrificed if he didn’t return with the pendant in five days.

XXX

“I still don’t like this, Zedd,” Cara fumed under her breath as they followed Kahlan through the market place towards the Palace.

“I don’t either, but it appears we don’t have much of a choice,” he frowned, equally concerned about the Mother Confessor. “If you have a better idea, you better state it now because we’re rapidly running out of time for the both of them.”

Cara ground her teeth as they fought to keep up with Kahlan while still trying to remain inconspicuous at the same time. They didn’t want their presence announced just yet. They still wanted to keep the element of surprise if they were going to make this work. Lord Rahl’s life was at stake. They couldn’t afford any errors.

“Do you have any ideas on how to save Kahlan?” the Mord’Sith asked, a scowl twisting her lips.

“I’ve been wracking my brain about that ever since we figured out what was happening to her,” Zedd grimly replied. “I’m still trying to think of some way out of this.”

“You have no idea, do you?” she frowned.

“I’m still working on it,” he scowled. “I’m not a Wizard of the First Order for just no reason.”

“Well, you better start using that knowledge, Wizard, or we’re going to be in bigger trouble than we’re already in,” she spat out, emphasizing his title as she flipped her long black braid back over her shoulder.

“Don’t you think I know…” Zedd began to fume, but was brought to an abrupt stop.

“Richard,” Kahlan whispered, her heart suddenly stuttering in her chest at the site of him.

Zedd and Cara came to a sudden stop behind Kahlan, allowing the lingering shadows of dawn to conceal their presence. They watched as Richard walked down the steps of the Palace surrounded by five large soldiers.

Kahlan took an unconscious step forward, a sudden hand on her shoulder drawing her back into the safety of the shadows. Tears suddenly pricked her eyes as she watched him being escorted away from the Palace.

“We have to follow him,” she murmured, pulling free from Zedd’s hold on her.

“Kahlan,” Zedd softly hissed. “We have to be careful.”

“We have to save Richard,” she growled in response, quickening her pace to keep up with the Seeker and his entourage.

Ducking between stores and trees, Kahlan did her best to remain hidden from site while still trying to keep Richard in hers. He looked to be alright, but from this distance it was difficult to truly say. His hands and feet were free from ropes or chains which puzzled her, but at the same time brought her great relief.

He was surrounded on every side by the five enormous D’Harans, their weapons drawn. They were obviously on a mission, determination permeating their every step and movement. Even from here, she could hear the soft clanking of their chainmail as they marched Richard to spirits knew where.

“Where are they headed?” Zedd turned to ask Cara.

“How do I know?” she spat out with a roll of her green eyes.

“You know the grounds better than us,” Zedd reminded her. “What’s your best guess?”

“Well, I would guess the stables,” she replied with a huff.

“Cara, go back and get the horses while we wait here,” Zedd told her. “It looks like we’re going to need them again.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 15

Kahlan could scarcely believe she was back on her horse, travelling down a path that she didn’t want to be on especially now. They were back to following Richard’s trail once again, still hoping that he was truly alright. 

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be though. This didn’t make any sense. 

Why had the new Lord Rahl just released him like this? 

No ropes or chains bound his hands or feet, only five soldiers sent along to guard him. Richard could easily eliminate all five of them if he had his weapon, taking each one of them down in the blink of an eye and a deadly swing of his sword. 

But he didn’t have his sword and they had no idea what was going with him now. There had to be a reason for the new Lord Rahl to allow him to leave the People’s Palace like this with so few soldiers to guard him. 

Was he a willing prisoner?

Kahlan wearily rubbed her forehead as they carefully followed from a distance, sticking close to the edge of the forest that lined the well-worn path they followed, allowing their leafy branches to shadow their presence. They couldn’t allow themselves to be seen. There was no predicting what those men would do to Richard if they saw them coming for him again.

For now, she was going to have to settle for this, being content watching him from a distance and waiting in the wings, hoping for an opportunity to rescue him the moment that one presented itself. She didn’t know how long she was going to be able to handle this waiting, hoping for a narrow window of opportunity to get to him. She missed him fiercely, ached to feel his arms wrapped so protectively around her again, to breathe the scent that always soothed her soul…or what was left of it.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to have happened. Cara was supposed to be escorting her inside the Palace right now, giving her the chance to confess the new Lord Rahl and save her Seeker. He was supposed to be with her at this moment, kissing her breathless, not riding away from her to spirits only knew where.

What could he possibly be doing? Why wasn’t he fighting to get free from these men in order to return to them?

She ground her teeth as anger began to blaze through her veins. She was swiftly running out of time. The next breath she drew could be her last and it would be without him there. She didn’t have time for him to go traipsing all over D’Hara on an errand for the Lord Rahl. She needed him now, with her before it was too late.

She wanted to taste his lips one last time, his tongue so hot and urgent caressing her mouth, to feel his hard muscular form so full of desire for her pressed hungrily against hers. She needed to see his love for her brimming in his chestnut eyes, to hear his gentle voice sighing her name one last time before leaving his arms only to appear in the arms of the Keeper again.

A cold shiver raced up her spine with the reminder of what was eagerly waiting for her, of what would be sooner than it ever should. She couldn’t survive apart from the one that had stolen her heart, but he’d be alive and safe in the world of the living and that’s all that truly mattered. She would take comfort in that, would find a way to survive in the Underworld no matter how unbearable it would be. 

For him, she would do anything.

After Richard had saved her from being torn in two, he had shared with her how they had made love in the woods, bathed in nothing more than their love and the bright rays of the moon shining down from above. The tentative worry and regret that had filled his brown eyes had been so incongruent with the look of pure joy that permeated his handsome face as he had told her about it, sharing with her only vague details of that very intimate night.

She could still remember how he had shyly averted his eyes, remembering the hurt that had lingered in his voice, knowing then that it hadn’t been her that he had shared himself with. With the sudden feel of her hand soft against his cheek, he had finally met her reassuring gaze, letting him know that it was alright.

Though she had no memory of it, she had been thrilled to know that he had found great pleasure in it…in her. Just knowing how it had meant so much to him to finally release what they had both been holding locked up inside, demonstrating what was living in his heart.

Now, she wanted to know for herself what he alone knew. But she was never supposed to know…they were never supposed to. She was meant to take a mate, not her Seeker.

“Zedd, what is he doing?” Kahlan suddenly growled under her breath, unable to bear another moment of this nonsense. They had been following him for over an hour with no clues as to what was really going on.

“I don’t have the faintest idea, my dear,” the Old Wizard shook his head with regret. “This just doesn’t make any sense. Cara, do you have any idea?”

“None,” she spat out in equal frustration as she pulled her now blond hair back behind her ear. “Why doesn’t he just break free from them? They only sent five soldiers to guard him. They had at least ten times that many just to capture him.”

“Maybe Richard’s just waiting for the right moment,” Zedd suggested, his voice not sounding very hopeful. “We need to stay sharp, watch out for any sign that he may need our help. There’s no telling what could really be going on.”

“We should just save him now,” Kahlan muttered through gritted teeth. 

“No, something is definitely going on,” Zedd replied with a firm shake of his head. “The new Lord Rahl wanted him for a very significant reason. Whatever it is that he has Richard doing for him, we must be prepared for anything. There’s more to this than we know right now. We best sit tight and follow him for the time being.”

“I still don’t like this,” Kahlan huffed. “We could be making it worse for him by waiting.”

“Trust Richard, trust your Seeker, my dear,” Zedd encouraged her. “He always finds a way to come through in the end.”

“Besides, we could be making it worse for him by just barreling in right now to rescue him,” Cara pointed out to them.

Kahlan stared at the Mord’Sith in stunned disbelief for a long moment before responding with a sudden scowl. “Cara, I thought you of all people would be the first one to race in there with your agiels fisted to free him.”

“Let’s just say that Lord Rahl has had somewhat of an influence on me since being with the three of you the last several months,” Cara shrugged with a faint smirk dancing on her lips. “I want Lord Rahl out of there just as much as you, but there is definitely something strange about all of this. 

“There must be some reason that the new ruler of D’Hara has sent him out with only five soldiers to guard him. He either has greatly underestimated the Seeker, which I highly doubt, or he is holding something over his head, something that will ensure that he won’t run.”

“I wonder what it could be,” Zedd mumbled to himself, stroking his chin as he stared ahead of him. “It can’t involve Kahlan. Everyone believes she’s dead.”

Kahlan shivered at the idea of something more going on beyond all of this. She knew that there had to be, must be something that the new Lord Rahl needed Richard for. She guessed that they were going to find out one way or another. She just wanted this entire ordeal over with so they could get Richard back and continue their mission to find the Stone of Tears.

She didn’t want to be forced to think about the Keeper or the Underworld, a new Lord Rahl or his wicked schemes meant to destroy everything they had worked so hard for. She just wanted to find the Stone of Tears, go back to Aydindril with Richard and have the life that she had come to believe in, the one that he had promised her.

In the far reaches of her mind, tradition and history screamed out to her, reminding her how foolish she was for allowing herself to believe in such fanciful dreams that could never be. She was only making it that much harder to leave him someday, to take a man to her bed who was not Richard.

He would be so furious with her, fight her at every turn and promising to find a way to be together, but he would eventually learn to live without her, fall in love with someone who could truly love him the way that he deserved and giving him what he had dreamed of. 

Inside, it would destroy her, but she knew duty had to ultimately come before her heart’s deepest desires.

And that was even if the Keeper didn’t get to her first.

But for the moment…this horrible moment…she needed to hold on tight to that dream of his, one that she acted out every night in her sleep, one that included only him and her. It was the only way that she could survive this right now, putting one foot in front of the other in hopes that her heart would eventually mend.

XXX

Richard kept his hard gaze locked on the distant horizon, taking in the lush surroundings and allowing his thoughts to wonder. He knew it was a dangerous thing to allow himself to do because they always eventually led him back to her.

And usually he didn’t mind. In fact, he always loved to think to think about her, allow himself to dream and plan his future with her, but it only intensified his anguish now that she was gone. He would save her, though. He promised himself that he would stop at nothing to bring her back, to make sure she was safe.

Once this was over and he had Kahlan back with him where she belonged, they could continue their quest, find the Stone and seal the rift. He would take her back to Aydindril to resume her rightful rule as the Mother Confessor, marry her and create the family that he was so desperate to have with her.

Magic or no magic, he would be with her. 

The thought of finally making love to her, finally physically joining with her in an intimate display of his love for her caused a sweet tingling warmth to suddenly swim in the pit of his stomach. To finally know her, truly know her in the most passionate way possible, for her to at last know him as well was what he had fantasized about for so long.

To have nothing hidden, no barriers left between them, to be skin against skin and heart to heart, connected as one flesh would be nothing short of pure ecstasy. 

Richard knew in his heart that he would find a way around her powerful magic. One way or another, he would marry her, be her husband. It was all that he wanted, all that he’d ever wanted since meeting her.

He couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering. He could only imagine how frightened she must be right now, trapped with his vile brother and the Keeper who were doing spirits only knew what to her. It made his heart race with the urgent need to get to her.

He wished more than anything he could tell her that he was coming for her, that he would not let her stay in the Underworld any longer than he could possibly allow. He wanted to scream it from the tops of his lungs that he loved her, was fighting to save her, but he knew that she’d never be able to hear him.

He didn’t want her to give up hope, to know that he would give his last breath to bring her back to him. He would never give up on her. Nothing could ever separate them, not even death. He wouldn’t allow it, refused to accept it. 

He loved her more than his own life. The most special, amazing part of him was her. It had always been her.

“Daydreaming of your dead whore again?”

Richard didn’t even bother making eye contact with the depraved beast riding beside him. He knew Ingram had been watching him since they had left, studying his every movement, every flickering shift of expression on his face. He had successfully ignored him up until now.

Even though he was now armed with a dagger, he wasn’t about to be goaded into a conflict. He had more important things to worry about like finding the pendant, saving Kahlan and the children who would die if he failed to return in four more days. While he still thirsted for this man’s blood, he had to bide his time.

He would have his revenge on every last one of them when it was all said and done.

“I can only imagine what fun Darken Rahl and the Keeper is having with her right now,” Ingram continued to taunt, a derisive smirk dancing on his face. “I’m sure their enjoying her company very much.”

A light coating of dust already clung to the short dark hairs that lined his jaw. The jagged scar that ran the length of his face seemed larger than life in the bright morning sun, intensifying his already menacing demeanor, but it had little effect on Richard.

The Seeker could care less how big he seemed or how fierce he looked, the strength he possessed or the man’s hardened battle skills. All that mattered to him was seeing him breathe his last just before he met the Keeper.

A sudden cold realization struck him like a bolt of lightning streaking across a stormy night sky. By seeking revenge, by getting what he so selfishly hungered for, he would be sending each one of these men to the Underworld where his Kahlan was. He would be putting them directly in her presence.

He suddenly grew pale with the thought, thankful that no opportunity for revenge had truly presented itself yet. He’d be practically handing her over to them, giving them each a chance to make her suffer for him ending their lives.

Once he had gotten Kahlan out of that place, then he could have his revenge, allow his righteous anger to flow through his blood and make those responsible pay for stealing her away from him.

“What’s the matter, Seeker” Ingram started in again. “Picturing Darken Rahl teaching your Confessor what it means to cross him?”

“No, just picturing what I’m going to do to you when this is all over,” Richard calmly replied without even looking his way.

“And what do you think you’re going to do to me?” the soldier scoffed with a gruff chuckle.

“I’m going to very slowly slit you open like a bloated pig, starting at the top of your ugly head straight down to your tiny little manhood.”

“I’d love to see you try!” Ingram growled with sudden fury.

“Ingram!” Caid yelled from behind them. “Leave him be.”

“I’m going to kill you when this is all over!” Ingram sneered to Richard under his breath. “It will be even sweeter than killing your precious Confessor.”

Richard turned to meet the enraged man’s heated glare again. “Why do you want me dead?” he simply asked, using a great deal of self-control to keep his own anger at bay with his reminder of Kahlan’s death.

Ingram stared at him, completely taken aback by either the pointed question or the Seeker’s calm expression. He wasn’t sure which. “Because you’re the Seeker. Don’t need any more reason than that,” he roughly groused, his shoulders suddenly sagging as he turned his attention straight ahead of him. It was if all the air had just been sucked out of him.

“There’s more to it than that,” Richard decidedly pushed, his curiosity suddenly piqued by the abrupt change in this gruff man’s entire countenance. Gone was the ferocious beast, so dark and hungry and ready to tear him limb from limb. In its place was a large man, suddenly exposed and awkward.

“But you have tried to kill me twice…against orders. What did I ever do to you? Cause that ugly scar on your face?” the Seeker pressed again, more roughly this time.

Ingram suddenly went rigid, his whole body inflamed with overwhelming rage. “You’ll know soon enough,” he spat out in a surprisingly calmer voice than Richard had expected, though the razor sharp edge remained. “The moment just before I kill you, you will remember and know everything. I’m going to make sure of that.”

Richard stared at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the path, the man’s words repeating in a continuous looping echo in his head. What was he supposed to remember and know? He had never seen Ingram a day in his life before the moment Kahlan had died. With his huge build and the hideous scar on his face, he was not someone who could be so easily forgotten. 

Had he met him somewhere else prior to all of this happening, sometime before he had come to bear that terrible scar? He had obviously wronged this man, but how? And where?

Richard could see the hate for him that blazed like hot coals in his black eyes, a murderous contempt for him that mirrored his soul. He didn’t have time to figure out what had caused this man to despise him so much. He had to find the pendant and return before children were sacrificed.

It was difficult enough having Kahlan’s death on his hands without innocent children as well.

But how was he going to do that when he didn’t even know for certain where he was going except that they were heading to the edge of the Deep Nothing. The name alone sent an icy shiver trembling through him. Despite everything that he had seen and experienced since meeting Kahlan, he knew deep down that he had still not witnessed the worst or the most fearsome yet.

He just hoped that this wasn’t going to be it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 16

Richard sat leaning his back against a large rock, his legs crossed in front of him. He sat away from the warmth of the campfire, away from where his fearsome escorts sat softly chatting and drinking. He was surprised that they had allowed him such freedom now, no ropes or chains to ensure that he wouldn’t try to escape.

Of course how could he with Demos’s threat to murder innocent children if he didn’t return with the pendant?

Besides, he was content keeping more to himself, not the least bit interested in making friends with his enemies. Even though only one of them had shot that arrow, each had had a hand in stealing Kahlan’s life just with their presence alone that horrible day. That wasn’t something that could be easily forgiven or forgotten no matter what happened to them now.

Tilting his head back, he sighed as he peered up at the night sky speckled with millions of stars peeking out from behind slowly scudding clouds. They’d travelled hard all day, making good time as far he could guess.

According to Caid, they should hopefully be to their destination some time tomorrow. That left him only three more day after to find what he needed to find before racing back to the Palace. Not even one child would lose their life because of him. He refused to allow it.

Leaning down, Richard pulled the dagger from his boot. Caid had given it to him just before they had left the Palace this morning, telling him that he would need something to protect himself with. He wasn’t certain if he meant from Ingram or from whatever was waiting for them on the edge of the Deep Nothing. Either way, his words had held a very ominous ring to them.

He turned it around in his hand as he stared at it, pausing to hold it by the tip of the blade. The dagger reminded him of the deadly warrior that had resided within his Confessor, the powerful woman who wielded her weapons with such skill and precision. It never ceased to amaze him when he would glance at her during a fight, checking on her only to find himself mesmerized by her graceful fluid movements, knowing that he was witnessing something truly remarkable in her.

Staring at the blade now, he was suddenly whisked back in time to when he had left with Sister Verna to go to the Palace of the Prophets, leaving behind the one that he loved most.

Kahlan had given him her dagger after he had handed over the Sword of Truth to her, allowing Zedd to name a new Seeker while he was with the Sisters of the Light. The warring emotions that had permeated her cobalt eyes as he took the dagger from her hands had nearly broken his heart.

It had hurt him deeply at first, thinking that Kahlan had been forcing him to leave because she no longer cared for him. But that had not been the case at all. He realized that she had shoved aside her own heart, her own desires in order to save his life. It was her vast love for him that had allowed her to do what she had done. 

And it only made him love her more than he thought possible for a man to love a woman.

“I will get you back, Kahlan,” he softly whispered, more as a promise to himself than to her as he stared at the dagger.

Richard couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that suddenly washed over him, his eyes immediately looking towards the night sky. He held his breath, his gaze darting back and forth as he silently watched…waited.

Drawing his knees up, he subtly leaned forward into a more crouched position, his skin beginning to prickle despite the humid summer air. His shirt stuck to his skin as he waited, listening as his eyes flitted back and forth, his lips slightly parted as he drew shallow breaths.

His heart began to pound in his ears as anticipation grew. He quickly flipped his dagger, his hand fisting the hilt tightly as a fly suddenly nipped at the back of his neck. His stomach immediately dropped into his boots.

They were about to have company.

He watched as the soldiers sitting around the campfire began randomly slapping at their necks and faces, completely unaware that they were all in grave danger as they continued to laugh and tell stories. They were too absorbed with their drinking and stories to pay attention to what was about to happen.

“Stop!” Richard hissed under his breath, his muscles drawn taut with anticipation.

The soldiers froze, turning to look at the Seeker sitting several feet away from them. “What?” Ingram sneered, slapping at the back of his neck with a big meaty hand as realization began to wash over him.

“Gars!” Richard scowled, ignoring the uncomfortable biting that tracked over his skin. “Don’t move!”

A couple of the soldiers began frantically swatting at their necks and faces in a desperate attempt to makes the flies stop biting them. They jumped to their feet as the buzzing flies seemed to multiply, swarms of them descending upon them like small black clouds.

Large dark shadows backlit by the bright glow of the moon abruptly soared over the ground, temporarily blocking their view of the sky. A gar suddenly swooped down out of nowhere, its flapping wings creating a great gust of wind. Its razor sharp claws immediately snatched at one of the two soldiers who had leapt to his feet, grabbing hold of him and taking off.

The other soldiers quickly jumped to his feet, swiftly drawing their swords as they glared angrily at the night sky. The sounds of his friend’s terrifying screams pierced the humid night air before suddenly growing silent. They all stared in horror, gripping their swords in preparation for another attack.

Richard slowly, cautiously got to his feet, his raptor gaze locked on the sky. Flies continued to bite at his skin, drawing small trickles of blood but he forced himself to ignore it. The only sound was the wind rustling the leaves of the trees that surrounded them and the crackling pops of their campfire.

Every shifting dark shadow set them all on edge, knowing that more was sure to come. It felt as if the trees surrounding them were closing in on them, tightening their already small circle as they watched and waited.

“I think they’re gone,” Caid softly said, warily peering skyward, his sword clutched tightly in his hand.

The soft sound of flapping wings unexpectedly filled the air, growing louder and matching the beat of the Seeker’s heart in his chest. The last and only time he had encountered gars was soon after he had met Kahlan. It had been an unnerving experience to say the least. She had saved his life. He was none too anxious for another encounter with the winged beasts.

He adjusted his grip on his weapon, his palm growing moist. He knew his small dagger wasn’t going to be much defense against a gar, but it was all he had at the moment. He wished more than anything he had his sword with him.

Sweat trickled down his back as the flapping sound grew louder. No one dared to move, to talk or even breathe at that moment for fear he would be the next to suffer the same fate as their comrade had.

Ominous black shadows outlined in the moonlight blanketed the ground once again alerting them to the fact that two more hunters remained, circling the area for any signs of movement. Flies continued to feast on Richard’s neck and face, but he couldn’t allow himself the luxury of killing them. He could feel the blood beginning to trickle down his neck as he waited, the shadows turning and making another pass over their camp.

Everyone stood still as stone this time, no one flinching. A shrill cry of anger tore through the night air as the gars finally moved on, taking their flies with them.

Richard released a ragged breath, his shoulders sagging as he leaned over and slid the dagger back into his boot. He was beyond thankful that he hadn’t had to try to use it against a gar. He had a bad feeling that was one battle he wouldn’t have won.

Sheathing their swords, the soldiers returned to their seats around the campfire, each on edge with the sudden loss of their comrade. There was a sudden solemnness that had settled over everyone, the jovial laughter having vanished with their friend into the dark night.

Caid watched Richard for a long moment before sliding his sword back into his scabbard as well. It was obvious the man had something on his mind, trying to decide whether to say anything or not. Deciding against it, he abruptly turned his back to Richard to join his men around the campfire.

The Seeker settled back down on the ground, leaning back against the rock. His pulse was still racing despite the fact that the danger was over for the moment. He couldn’t help but feel that it was only the beginning for them as they sought out the pendant his half-brother wanted so badly.

There was something unnerving about this area as they grew closer to the Deep Nothing. He knew that Demos had withheld valuable information, things that Richard needed to know about either the area they were headed into or about the pendant itself.

Either way, he had little choice. Children were going to die if he was unsuccessful, Kahlan forever trapped in the Underworld. He still had no guarantees that Demos could really help him bring her back. He was going solely on blind faith in a man that he neither knew nor trusted.

Pulling his water skin from his pack, Richard took a long drink before cupping the water in his hand and rubbing the blood off of the back of his neck and then his face. He had a feeling these gars were going to be the least of his worries now.

Whatever waited for him tomorrow wasn’t going to be much better or Demos wouldn’t have sent him on this quest. He just hoped that he survived it for the sake of the children who would be slaughtered if he didn’t.

XXX

Kahlan’s breath caught in her throat, her fingernails biting deep into the palms of her hands with the death-grip she held on her daggers. Shoving aside her overwhelming desire to rush into the clearing to protect her Seeker, she forced herself to slide her daggers back into her boots instead, relieved that the immediate danger was over.

She swatted away a lingering fly with a huff of annoyance. The gars had appeared out of thin air, taking them all by surprise…except for Richard of course. She had been silently watching him from the thick sheltering leaves from a grove of large mulberry trees. 

She had watched him as he had stared at a dagger in his hand for the longest time, lost to his own thoughts. The sadness that had filled his face had hurt her so much worse than the arrow that had penetrated deep into her abdomen had. Seeing him sad or suffering brought out such an overpowering need to protect and shelter him, to drive away his pain and anguish no matter the cost to her.

And then he had suddenly slipped into a crouching position, his dagger in hand and ready for a fight, alerting her to the danger. She had immediately drawn her daggers too, prepared to enter the clearing and protect Richard if necessary.

Watching him now, her heart felt so very heavy despite the fact she was finally so close to him. Hidden within night’s dark shadows, she ached so deeply to run to him, to throw herself into his arms so that he would know at last that she was alive and come to save him.

His anguish was palpable as she stared at him, her need for him escalating the longer she stood there. She suddenly took a step forward, not even realizing that she had moved. A small branch on the ground cracked with the step she took.

She watched as Richard’s head snapped to the side with the unexpected noise. She suddenly froze, her muscles tense as he sat listening for a long moment. She wanted so desperately for him to come looking for the source of the sound, anxious for him to search and to discover her there. She imagined him finding her, the look of stunned disbelief that would no doubt fill his beautiful brown eyes when he saw her in that moment.

She pictured him grabbing her, drawing her against him and kissing her until her head was spinning. Her heart was suddenly racing with the thrilling thought. She didn’t think that she could wait another moment for him, go another night without him sleeping near her.

Her heart was in her throat as she took another step forward, her blue gaze locked on her Seeker. She didn’t care about the other soldiers who accompanied him or why he had been sent out here. All she cared about was him and having him back with her.

Didn’t she deserve that little bit of happiness before she met the Keeper again? Hadn’t she risked her all, given everything, even her life for the good of mankind in order to protect the world from evil?

Unwanted tears stung her eyes as she bit her bottom lip in an effort to keep the sob that rose in her throat at bay. She was so cold, chilled to the very marrow of her bones. She just wanted to feel his arms so strong and safe around her, to feel the warmth of his breath pulsating softly against her face, the heat of his body pressed against hers.

Want warred with logic as she weighed the consequences of letting them see her. She could feel the leaves of a low-lying branch fluttering softly against her cheek as the wind filtered through the trees, bringing her out of her daydream and back to the moment. 

She knew she needed to turn around, to return to their camp, but she couldn’t make her legs work. The thought of walking away from him made her legs weak with overwhelming sorrow. She was so close to having him back. How could she leave him now?

A sudden hand on her shoulder reminded her that she had not been alone. She turned her head only slightly, knowing without looking it was Cara. She knew the Mord’Sith had been there with her the whole time, waiting and watching her from the shadows, making sure she didn’t give in to temptation.

She was both frustrated and relieved for her friend’s presence. Her resolve was faltering, her strength failing her with every passing moment that drew her closer to the Underworld. She knew if she had been herself, if she hadn’t felt so drained that she’d be better able to fight the deep-seated need to go to him.

The Keeper’s draw on her soul was having its toll on her, sapping her of all her strength and determination. She felt so tired, so vulnerable. She just wanted to lie down, cocooned within the love and shelter of Richard’s arms and body.

Why couldn’t she just have this one thing, her one last wish? Was she and Richard only destined for pain and misery, never knowing each other’s touch?

“Kahlan, we need to get back to Zedd,” Cara whispered, her voice so gentle as it carried on the hot summer breeze.

Kahlan swallowed hard, fighting back her rising tears. Her fingers curled into tight fists as she willed herself to turn around, to turn her back to him. She forced herself to walk away from him instead of running to him like she so desperately wanted to do.

“At least we know that he’s alright,” the Mord’Sith softly told her as they quietly made their way back to camp.

“For now,” Kahlan sadly murmured, knowing that she had just left her heart behind with Richard.

Entering their camp, Kahlan immediately settled on her bedroll, pulling her green blanket about her shoulders, shivering despite the humidity that hung heavily in the air. She was growing colder all the time, a hollow feeling enveloping her. She was slowly losing herself and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Soon, she would open her eyes to find herself looking into the face of Darken Rahl, forced to submit to his every wish. She shuddered at the thought, her stomach roiling in agonizing anticipation of such torment. The thought of his eyes roaming over her, his hands against her skin made her ill, but there was nothing that she could to prevent it.

Whatever was going on with Richard was far more important than what she had been destined to endure. Something was going on here, something bigger than any of them could possibly begin to imagine. They were going to have to stay close, watch and be ready for anything.

Kahlan could still scarcely believe Richard had a dagger, no ropes binding him and holding him hostage. The new Lord Rahl had something hanging over Richard’s head, something that kept him in line and doing his bidding. She shuddered to think what that something could be.

“Did you see him? Zedd asked, watching as the Mother Confessor rested her chin on her drawn up knees, a sad brooding mood enveloping her.

“Yes,” she softly replied, closing her eyes against the images of him that still lingered in her mind. She knew he would follow her into her sleep. He always did.

Despite the distance and the darkness, Kahlan could still see that bruises and cuts marred his handsome face, the moonlight giving her a glimpse into what he had already endured. It had angered her knowing that he had been beaten so viciously. She wanted so badly to kiss away every bruise and every cut, to allow her love for him to flow through her and into him so that he might know once for all what beat in her heart for him.

“Were you able to find out any information about what is going on?” he asked as Cara knelt by the fire beside him.

“Nothing except they were attacked by gars,” Cara told him. “They lost one of their men.”

“They’re down to four then,” Zedd muttered more to himself than the others. “I wish we knew what was going on.”

“We’re not going to learn any more tonight,” Kahlan said as she shifted to lie down. “Hopefully we’ll learn more tomorrow.”

Turning onto her side away from them, Kahlan closed her eyes, attempting to shove aside the heavy sense of loneliness that consumed her. She was dying, would end up in the Underworld sooner than any of them could begin to guess. She could feel it, knew it as sure as she knew her name, knew that she loved Richard above all else.

She just prayed that she could see him, talk to him, kiss him one more time before that happened.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 17

She felt herself drifting, floating as if hanging precariously in some unknown state between here and there. She was neither dead nor alive. She just…was. 

Everlasting night surrounded her, enveloping her in its cold desolate embrace, causing overwhelming loneliness to swell inside of her. She tried futility to break free, but it wrapped her too tightly, its hold on her too powerful to escape.

She shivered uncontrollably against darkness’s icy fingers caressing her skin, her entire body. It surrounded her and yet it seemed to emanate from the small part of her soul that the Keeper had yet to steal from her. She was so tired of being so cold all of the time, exhausted to the very bone. It was as if her blood had turned into a river of ice in her veins, slowly causing her to freeze to death. She knew she couldn’t go on like this, couldn’t survive much longer.

Richard.

The thought of him caused her heart to suddenly race with need. She wanted him so desperately it caused a strangled sob to be torn from her lips. She missed seeing his handsome face, gazing into his warm brown eyes, hearing her name on his lips. She missed his touch, his smile, his kisses. She missed seeing the boyish grin that he gave her when he teased her, the bright gleam that filled his eyes whenever she smiled at him.

She missed him lying near her at night, the soft steady sound of his breathing as he slept close to her, but never close enough. She missed talking to him by the campfire, listening to his easy laughter and watching the flames dance in his chestnut eyes as he spoke.

She cried his name again, a hoarse moan that seemed to spring from the very core of her heart, begging him to come to her.

And then, he was suddenly there before her, appearing like a shimmering ghost, a guiding light in the black void that had swallowed her whole. He slowly stretched out his hand towards her, a warm tender smile lighting his handsome face as he silently beckoned her to come to him.

Without a second thought, she immediately reached out for him, frantic to touch him, to grab hold of him and never let him go again. She ached to feel him, to tell him that she loved him. Tears began to roll down her face as she called out his name, needing him to help her, to keep her from slipping back into the Underworld. He was the only one who could save her.

She was so, so very cold. She needed him to keep her warm, to make her feel alive again instead of this walking dead thing that she was becoming, this shell of the woman that she once was. She wanted to lie next to him, to curl herself up in his embrace, allowing him to shelter her and warm her.

Kahlan stretched as far as she could, her fingertips lightly brushing against his outstretched hand. Her fingers tingled with the feel of his touch, electricity shooting through her. His touch was always exhilarating to her, igniting her with such a heated rush of desire that it nearly took her breath away every time. 

She could only imagine what being with him someday could be like, to actually feel his body repeatedly pressing into hers so urgently, his hands and mouth frantically exploring every inch of her flesh. It would be ecstasy to finally experience the deep longing that she saw simmering in his warm brown orbs for her.

Tears continued to escape her eyes as she tried to grab hold of him again, but he was suddenly gone, vanishing like the wind.

Kahlan had the unexpected awareness that hands were grabbing her, shaking her. Her name filled her ears and permeated deep into her senses. They were calling out to her. They were…upset, worried. She wanted to ignore their pleas for her to open her eyes, to stop the hands that were trying to force her to wake up.

All she wanted was to see Richard again, to hold him and to be held, to love him and be loved. 

Why was that so hard? Why couldn’t they just be left alone to be together like they both so desperately wanted? Why were the good spirits conspiring to keep them apart?

“Kahlan…”

“…won’t wake up…”

“Kahlan!”

“…coming around now…”

“….wrong with her?”

Kahlan shivered violently, nearly rattling her teeth as she fought to keep her eyes closed despite their insistent pleas. She could hear voices...familiar voices. They were people she cared about, loved. They were talking about her, trying to make her open her eyes, but she didn’t want to wake up if it wasn’t with Richard. She only wanted him…only, always, forever him.

She groaned softly against the feel of hands so urgent on her face, her arms. She felt the sharp tingle of magic as it unexpectedly began to drift through her body, forcing her eyes to finally open.

She found herself staring up into the worried faces of Zedd and Cara leaning over her. She tilted her head, squinting as she tried to comprehend what was happening. What were they doing? What had happened?

“Kahlan,” Cara sighed with obvious relief.

“What’s wrong?” Kahlan groggily asked as she sat up.

“We’ve only been trying to wake you for the last hour or so,” the Mord’Sith huffed as she sat back on her heels. “We couldn’t get you to wake up.”

Kahlan quickly began looking around, the sun’s brightness telling her it had been morning for some time now. “What? What are you talking about?”

“We haven’t been able to wake you,” Zedd frowned as he studied her for a long moment. “When we woke this morning, we found you shaking, your skin like ice. We couldn’t wake you up. We thought we had lost you to the Keeper.”

Kahlan ran her hands over her face in a futile attempt to banish the cobwebs that filled her head, the fatigue that still tugged at her senses. Images of Richard lingered in her mind, causing her heart to flutter with longing.

Richard.

She leapt to her feet in panic, grabbing her things and quickly stuffing them into her pack. “We have to go…now,” she frantically stated. “Where’s Richard? Have they left already? We have to find him.”

“They left soon after daybreak,” Zedd regretfully informed her.

“What?” Kahlan cried, angry with herself. How could she have allowed this to happen? “No…no, we have to find him.”

“It’s alright,” Zedd informed her, placing a reassuring hand on her arm to still her. “Cara thinks she has an idea as to where they’re heading. Right now, I’m more worried about why we weren’t able to wake you.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m awake now,” Kahlan snapped, turning to look at the Mord’Sith standing beside her. “Where are they going?”

“I think they’re heading to the Temple at Caspar,” Cara informed them. “It’s on the edge of the Deep Nothing. It’s the only thing out this direction that might have something that the new Lord Rahl might want.”

“What’s the Temple at Caspar?” Kahlan asked, not really wanting to know and yet needing to. 

“It’s an ancient temple dedicated to the worship and the ways of the Keeper that sits just past the boundary into the Deep Nothing,” she told them. “It’s been abandoned for years. It’s the only place I can think of that they might be heading to.”

“What could possibly still be at an abandoned temple that they could be looking for?” Kahlan shook her head in confusion.

“I don’t know for certain, but I do know the place is very dangerous.”

The Mord’Sith’s grim expression did little to instill hope in the Mother Confessor as she stared at her. “What’s there?” she whispered, suddenly unable to find her voice with the fear for Richard that was pounding through her veins.

Cara studied her for a moment before responding, her emerald eyes flashing with equal resolve to protect her Lord Rahl. “Evil.”

A shiver of dread lanced through her, making her legs suddenly weak. Richard was walking straight into a den of wickedness. Did he even know? Did have any idea of what he had gotten himself into? How was the new Lord Rahl able to force him into doing this?

“We have to stop him before it’s too late,” Kahlan said, her jaw clenched with determination as she slung her pack over her shoulder.

“Kahlan, I’m afraid that the Keeper’s spell on your soul is getting stronger,” Zedd informed her, worry etched in the deep wrinkles that lined his face. “I don’t know what will happen next to you. Tomorrow, we might not be able to wake you at all. We need to try to find a way to stop this before it’s too late.”

“It’s a chance we have to take,” she adamantly stated as she headed towards her horse, not even slowing to wait for them. “Richard might not know what he is getting into. We have to get to him before it’s too late. We have to save him before we worry about me.”

XXX

Richard tightened his hold on the reins of his horse, his dark raptor gaze locked on the enormous temple looming like a deadly beacon in the distance. There was an insidious despair that permeated the air, a sense of darkness pressing in on them despite the mid-afternoon sun shining brightly above. 

An unsettling feeling had been subtly enveloping them the closer they drew to the temple, growing stronger as it pulled them towards their ultimate destination. It was as if a dark cold void had opened up somewhere along this strange journey, one that seemed to mirror the painful hollowness that had consumed him since losing Kahlan. It was crushing him from the inside and now from the outside as well. It nearly stole his breath away.

He didn’t know how much longer he could endure this. It was hard enough trying to cope with losing the woman he loved more than life, but to feel the heavy despair that he felt in his soul now filling the air around him was almost too much to withstand.

There was something very wicked about this temple that Demos had sent him to, something that made the tiny hairs on his neck and arms prickle with rising alarm. The temple had been clearly abandoned years ago, but something sinister still resided there.

Despite this, Richard refused to even consider turning around. Kahlan’s life as well as the lives of those D’Haran children waiting to be butchered if he didn’t succeed all lay in his hands. His chest suddenly tightened with the dreadful thought.

He didn’t even have his sword with him to help him banish whatever ghosts still lingered in the temple’s halls. His small dagger wasn’t going to be much assistance to him here. He might as well not be armed at all.

“What is this place?” Richard suddenly asked, his gaze still locked on their destination.

“It’s known as the Temple at Caspar,” Caid replied without making eye contact. He was none too thrilled with the prospect of entering the rotting temple himself, but he knew refusing to follow the orders of the new Lord Rahl would be much worse. “It has been a center of worship to the Keeper for over a thousand years.”

“But it’s not any longer?”

“No, it’s been abandoned for over twenty five years at least.”

“How did this pendant end up here of all places?” the Seeker asked, more to himself than to anyone else.

“I have no idea,” Caid admitted with a shake of his head. “All I know is what Lord Rahl told me and the rumors that I’ve heard passed down over the years.”

“And what rumors have you heard?”

Commander Caid finally turned to look at the Seeker, the expression on his face deadly serious. “It’s occupied by the spirits of the priests that used to live there.”

“Their spirits?” Richard frowned. “How is that possible? If they worshipped the Keeper, wouldn’t they have gone to the Underworld when they died? Been rewarded by the Keeper for their service to him?”

“One would’ve thought so,” the Commander grimly replied, turning his attention back to their destination. “Something happened…went wrong somehow I guess. They all died mysteriously, their spirits trapped in the temple forever, not allowed to leave and not allowed to enter the Underworld. It’s been abandoned ever since, no one daring to set foot inside its walls.”

“Until now,” Richard crossly muttered.

He couldn’t help the icy shiver of dread that shot up his spine with the Commander’s words. To be dead and yet sentenced to haunt the halls of the temple for all eternity seemed almost worse than meeting the Keeper in the Underworld. Almost.

“How did the priests die?” Richard suddenly asked.

Caid sighed heavily, his dark eyebrows furrowing in thought as he attempted to remember the legend. “They were all found dead, some torn to shreds; others had a grace symbol branded on their foreheads, their eyes frozen wide in terrible terror. No one was able to determine what had happened or who had done it.”

Mulling over this new information, Richard had a hundred more questions, but wasn’t exactly sure that he wanted to know any more at that moment. What he had learned had been terrifying enough. Instead, he asked something altogether different, something that took the Commander by surprise.

“Why didn’t you tie me up last night?”

Caid thought for a long moment before responding, stroking the short hairs of his black goatee. “I didn’t feel it was necessary I guess.”

“I could have run, escaped into the night and you never would’ve known,” Richard pointed out.

“Yes, you could have, but I know that you won’t,” Caid simply said.

“You don’t know me,” Richard heatedly retorted. “I could’ve easily slit all of your throats in your sleep and you never would’ve known what hit you.”

“I know you could have, but I knew that you wouldn’t,” he replied, conviction filling his voice. “You are the Seeker of Truth, noble, have a good heart. You are also in love with your Confessor and want to bring her back from the Underworld. You wouldn’t risk killing me or my men with her life at stake. You stand to lose too much to be concerned with your own life right now.”

Richard ground his teeth, knowing in his heart that what the Commander said was true. He couldn’t risk this valuable opportunity to save Kahlan or allow children to be killed because of his selfish actions. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he squandered this chance.

Avoiding Caid’s eyes, he looked to his left, taking in the dreary landscape, the lake that he could just barely make out nestled between a thick clump of trees and bushes. He didn’t want to make eye contact with Caid, didn’t want him to know that what he said was all true. 

But for some unknown reason, one that he couldn’t begin to pinpoint, Richard felt that hunger for revenge beginning to waver ever so subtly now. He found himself almost liking the Commander. He seemed to have some sense of morality despite the fact that he served Demos Rahl. 

He didn’t want to like him, though, didn’t want to let go of his hatred. Instead, he wanted to seize hold of his rage, his ferocious demand for revenge for what they had done to Kahlan.

 

He searched for that fury that simmered inside of him, knowing that it wouldn’t be very hard to find. It had become a part of him ever since Kahlan had drawn her last breath.

He could feel it now, flaring suddenly from deep within his core, its flames licking at his skin and reminding him as well of the brutal anguish that resided there along with it. He allowed it to engulf him, submerging him in its hot waves and making his pulse race with its veracious need. He felt his breath quickening, his knuckles whitening with the fierce grip he held on the reins of his horse.

They wouldn’t get away with what they had done to her, wouldn’t survive the journey back. He would personally see to it. The thought caused a faint peaceful air to settle over him, hardening his resolve and bringing him back to that dangerous precipice he’d been teetering on since Kahlan’s death. It was one that threatened to steal logic, allowing bitterness and hatred to rein in its place.

“Why did you save us from the gars?” Caid unexpectedly asked, his question slicing through his vengeful thoughts like the dagger that rested in his boot.

Richard forced himself to turn and look at the man. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t have to warn us that gars were circling our camp,” he continued to explain. “You could have easily sat back and let them pick us off one by one.”

“I didn’t know if I was going to need your help finding the pendant,” he shrugged indifferently.

“No, it was more than that,” Caid pressed. “Even as broken and enraged as you are over the Mother Confessor’s death, you still couldn’t stand by and watch a man die for no good reason.”

“My mistake,” he coldly said. “I’ll let you all die the next time a gar crosses our path.”

“I don’t believe that, but thank you for what you did,” Caid softly replied, ignoring the Seeker’s anger. “You saved my life and the lives of three of my men.”

Richard swallowed hard, unable to speak. Despite his rage, he had reacted last night purely out of instinct, his innate need to protect life taking control even though it was the lives of those who had helped to take Kahlan’s life.

It had been a chance to watch these men suffer and pay for what they had done, for stealing the only thing in life that was so very precious to him. And he had just wasted it.

Nearing the temple, he swore to himself that once he had what he needed, he’d be returning to the Palace alone.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 18

Standing outside of the Temple at Caspar, Richard’s worried gaze wandered over the enormous structure that stuck out against the steadily setting sun. He felt a sick churning inside as a thick knot of dread settled into the pit of his stomach. 

The air was almost suffocating with the sense of evil foreboding that suffused it. It clung to him like a second skin, a dark shadow that followed his every movement. It felt as if the eyes of the dead were upon him as he studied the temple, his skin prickling with growing apprehension.

His scabbard suddenly felt emptier than it ever had as it hung so lonely at his hip. He still felt an odd connection to his sword despite the fact that he didn’t have it with him now. He had become bonded with the magical weapon over the last year and a half, becoming one with it just like he had with Kahlan.

Now, he felt so very lost without it…without Kahlan.

But soon he would have her back and she would be his forever.

Scanning the temple, he found parts of it collapsing, other parts completely intact. It was remarkable for as old as it appeared to be. Reaching for the door, he felt a faint chill beginning to tingle through him as his fingers brushed against the iron handle. The door opened easily, more so than Richard had expected it to.

The door moaned as it swung open, the fading light of the afternoon washing through the entrance to the temple and casting deeper shadows on its aged walls. Drawing a deep breath, Richard took a tentative step inside.

He could feel Caid and his men following behind him, a few paces back. He could practically feel their uneasiness roiling off of them in waves. He had to admit that he wasn’t feeling any better himself about all of this, but Kahlan’s life was all that mattered to him right now.

Stepping inside, he was suddenly assaulted by the stale musty smell that permeated the ancient sanctuary. A thick layer of dust coated the stone floor and walls. Cobwebs lazily hung from every crook and crevice that spiders had been able to find a place to make a home.

It was obvious no one had been here for quite some time. It did little to settle the Seeker’s unease as he searched for a torch to light. His boots seemed to echo loudly as he made his way to a nearby sconce, his eyes darting anxiously about. He carefully lifted the torch from the bracket, stunned when it unexpectedly burst into a ball of flame on its own.

A cold wind suddenly sliced through him, seemingly coming out of nowhere and taking him by surprise. He shivered despite himself, amazed that the torch had remained lit. The flame didn’t seem to waiver or flinch, completely unaffected by the sudden gust.

The soldiers that followed behind him went for their weapons, the sound of their swords being unsheathed echoing in the corridor. Their footsteps seemed so distant to him as he warily crept down the hallway, swinging his torch in a slow steady tempo that splashed light in places that had seen none in spirits knew how long.

“We’re not going to be able to stay here for very long,” Caid suddenly announced, his voice hushed. “It’ll be dark soon.”

“I just want to see what Demos has gotten me into,” Richard muttered, his narrowed gaze studying every minute detail possible.

“I’m not spending the night in here,” Ingram scowled. “This isn’t my mission. The Mother Confessor can rot in the Underworld for all I care.”

“Scared of a couple of ghosts, Ingram?” Richard sharply retorted, causing the other soldiers to chuckle softly, helping to ease some of the overwhelming tension.

Richard smiled to himself as Ingram growled profanities under his breath. He knew that it was a death wish provoking him like this, but he was more than ready for a fight. Ingram had been the one to shoot the arrow, taking Kahlan away from him. He would die first.

“I’m not scared of anything,” Ingram sneered, taking a furious step closer to the Seeker.

Commander Caid’s arm immediately shot out to the side, keeping the enraged soldier at bay and silently reminding him that he could not harm Richard. Lord Rahl needed him to get what he wanted. They couldn’t allow anything to happen to the Seeker.

Making his way down the long corridor, Richard could feel his pulse begin to quicken. He had no clue where he was going inside of this massive temple or where the pendant could possibly be. As enormous as this place was it would take weeks to find it. He only had tomorrow.

He didn’t want to waste a second of it by taking the wrong turn or searching in the wrong place. He couldn’t afford any mistakes now. He was going to have to trust his instincts now more than ever to get him through this.

Sweat began to break out across his brow as he carefully inched deeper inside the tomb-like structure, his breaths coming faster. He could hear the sounds of scurrying feet, claws frantically scraping along the stone floor as well as other noises that he couldn’t even begin to pinpoint.

Richard paused, reaching down and drawing his dagger from his boot. The weapon suddenly felt so small in his hand especially against whatever was making those noises. An overwhelming sense of loneliness swiftly wrapped its arms around him, squeezing him tightly. He suddenly missed Kahlan so desperately he could hardly breathe, the feeling intensifying with every step he took.

He stopped again, squeezing his eyes closed as he attempted to focus his thoughts, trying to bottle up the emotions now storming through him. He tried to focus on the solution, ignoring the painful loss that was devouring him, but his legs suddenly felt like lead from the grief that attempted to overtake him. He drew a deep breath, releasing it slowly in a futile effort to expel the anguish that consumed him.

It felt as though time had come to an abrupt stop, a noose slipping around his neck ready to choke the life out of him. It was as if he was reliving Kahlan’s death all over again, the fresh wounds so raw and deep being violently ripped apart once more.

A cry of deep anguish rose from his throat, tears stinging his eyes as the emotional pain of losing the woman he loved repeatedly sliced through him like a thousand daggers at once. Hopelessness pervaded every fiber of his being threatening to drag him to the stone floor beneath his boots. 

It was as if an inky black pit had suddenly opened up beneath him, something so very dark and ugly trying to drag him down, down into its cold depths. He didn’t want to live if he couldn’t live his life with her. Kahlan gave his life meaning, purpose. 

Without her he was nothing.

A sudden feel of a hand on his shoulder caused him to quickly spin around on his heel. It was as if he was waking from a terrifying nightmare. His whole body was shaking, his chest heaving and nostrils flaring, ready to kill them all. The ornate hilt of his dagger burned painfully into the palm of his hand from the force with which he was clutching it.

“Are you alright?” Caid asked, squeezing the Seeker’s shoulder to calm him.

“What happened?” Richard panted, running a hand over his face. 

“You just suddenly froze as if you had turned to stone,” Caid replied with a frown. “You wouldn’t move or respond.”

“For how long?”

“Several minutes at least,” Caid informed him. “What happened to you?”

“I…I don’t know,” Richard murmured, turning in a quick circle, looking for the cause of what he’d just experienced. “I just felt such crushing grief over losing Kahlan. I couldn’t breathe. It felt like it was only a couple of moments, but it was so real.”

“There’s definitely dark magic at work here,” Caid said, his eyes roaming over their ominous surroundings.

“And it’s playing off of our emotions, twisting and intensifying them,” Richard informed them as he fought to swallow back his heart that was now in his throat.

“I think we’ve seen enough for today,” Caid decided as he sheathed his sword. “We’ll start again at first light tomorrow.”

“I have to find that pendant,” he shook his head in frustration.

“I know that you want to save the Mother Confessor but…” Caid began.

“I do, but it’s more than that,” Richard growled. “It’s the D’Haran children who will lose their lives if I don’t return in three days.”

“What D’Haran children? What are you talking about?”

“Demos told me that if I didn’t return in five days, he would start murdering a child for every day that I was late in returning.”

Caid suddenly became very quiet, his face growing pale with the news. “It’s getting too dark now. We aren’t going to be able to search any longer today,” he softly said, turning back towards the door they had entered through.

Richard’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He looked back down the black corridor, hoping for some light to suddenly appear, some sort of sign that would reveal where the pendant was. But there was nothing but the sound of the soldiers’ boots retreating against the stone floor as they quickly left the temple.

“Come…Richard,” Caid gently said, standing in the doorway, his hand resting on the iron door handle as he watched him. “There’s nothing more we can do tonight.”

In his heart, Richard knew that Caid was right. With a heavy sigh of resignation, he finally made his way to the door. Pausing for a moment, he cast one last glance down the corridor, desperately looking for a sign that he knew deep down he’d never see.

XXX

Kahlan quickly leapt from her horse, her desperate need to get to Richard magnified in the face of the malevolent looking temple that stood so large before them. She could feel the wickedness permeating the air around her, creating waves of gooseflesh to ripple over her body. She could only imagine how much worse it would feel being inside of that temple.

She wasn’t about to let that stop her though. She would get to Richard no matter what.

Running towards the edge of a thick row of trees that rested near the temple, Kahlan searched for any sign of Richard, but found nothing but their horses nibbling on the grass waiting for their owners to return. 

They were too late. He was already inside that deadly place.

“Don’t even think about it, my dear,” Zedd softly but firmly said, his hand finding her shoulder. “We can’t go barreling in there just yet.”

“Richard could be in trouble,” she bit out through gritted teeth, her hands balling into angry fists.

“We don’t know that for sure,” he insisted. “Going in there could only make things worse for him.”

Kahlan’s eyelids fluttered, fighting back sudden frustrated tears as she looked to the darkening sky above her. She was so very cold, exhausted. She just wanted Richard back. She was going to die without him. 

“I can’t do this much longer, Zedd.”

Coming to stand beside her, Zedd wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her to him. “I know, dear one, I know,” he sighed. “But we’ll find a way out of this. We always manage to find a way.”

Kahlan gently pulled out of his comforting embrace, not wanting to be consoled like she was some helpless child. She wasn’t helpless…yet. “This time we might not be so lucky.”

“You can’t give up hope,” he told her. “You have to hold on for Richard.”

“They won’t be able to stay in there much longer,” Cara informed them. “It’s getting dark.”

“I hope so,” the Mother Confessor murmured.

Kahlan quickly placed her hand against a nearby tree to steady herself, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over her. She squeezed her eyes shut as she dug her fingernails into the rough bark of the tree. Her legs felt like they were suddenly boneless as they gave out on her.

Zedd quickly grabbed hold of her as he gently lowered her to the ground. “Kahlan!” he cried. “Are you alright?”

“I just…got a little dizzy,” she murmured, holding her head in her hands as she tried to recover her strength.

Zedd moved in front of her, taking her face in his hands. “You’re cold as ice,” he frowned. “You need to rest, conserve what strength you’ve got left. Let’s go back and set up camp so you can rest.”

“We have to wait for Richard,” she insisted as she forced herself to stand up. 

“Cara can do that,” he replied. “You aren’t going to be any good to him if we don’t do something for you soon.”

“I want to see him,” she whispered, her watery gaze locked on the door to the temple.

Kahlan suddenly bent over, wrapping an arm around her abdomen as her other hand found the support of the tree again. She sucked in a sharp breath as pain seared through her abdomen where she had been struck by the arrow.

“What is it?” Zedd demanded.

“It’s nothing,” she snapped through a panting breath. “Just give me a minute.”

“That’s it,” Cara firmly announced, placing a hand on her back. “You’re done for now. You’re going back to camp.”

Unable to catch her breath, Kahlan couldn’t really argue as Zedd began to lead her away. “You’re coming with me, Mother Confessor. Things are moving faster than I had anticipated. I need to see if there’s maybe something I can do to slow this down until we can figure out how to stop it.”

Holding her abdomen, she reluctantly left Cara alone to stand watch. She tried to shove aside the blinding pain that had her doubled over, but it was pointless. This was magic from the Underworld. There was nothing she could do to fight it. 

Her own magic, her daggers, her skills in battle were all useless against this. She was losing her soul, her life slowly leaving her body nothing but an empty husk. At this point, she began to fear that she wouldn’t make it through the night, never seeing Richard’s handsome face ever again.

Furious bitter tears began to roll down her cheeks with the thought. She didn’t want to die, didn’t want to leave Richard. He had swept into her life that day in the Hartland woods and had stolen her heart, becoming the center of her whole world.

She couldn’t leave him. Not now. 

XXX

Sitting alone by the fire, Richard found himself lost to his tormented thoughts once more, his heart hurting worse than ever before if that was even possible. He absentmindedly picked at a stick, peeling back the thin layer of bark and snapping little bits off at a time. The dark feelings and emotions that he had experienced inside that temple had been overwhelming, nearly crushing him.

The magic that he had felt in there had been powerful, intense, playing off of his already devastated heart. Kahlan’s death had been the worst thing he had ever experienced, stealing his life. The dark magic inside that temple had sensed it, feeding on it like an infection in his wounded heart.

He didn’t want to experience that ever again, but he knew that he would have to if he was going to get Kahlan back. His chest constricted painfully with the thought of returning to that temple. He would have to steel himself against the fierce magic that lurked within those halls, reining in his broken heart if he was going to survive this.

“Are you alright?”

Richard turned to find Commander Caid coming to join him by the fire, sitting on the log beside him. “No,” he simply said, turning his attention back to the stick in his hand.

“I guess no one really could be after everything you’ve been through,” Caid replied.

The Seeker fought to hold onto his thirst for revenge, suddenly finding it harder and harder to cling to no matter what he did. There was something different about this man, something that he almost liked.

“You didn’t know about the D’Haran children, did you?” Richard softly asked.

Caid sat in silence for a long moment before finally responding. “No…I didn’t.”

“Demos Rahl isn’t what you had hoped,” the Seeker ventured. “You were hoping for something better than Darken Rahl.”

“Yes, I thought maybe we finally had a ruler worth following, worth our respect,” he admitted, his gaze locked on the orange flickering flames before him.

Richard found his anger suddenly deflating. Another life, another time, he could have actually been friends with this man instead of enemies. “I’m afraid he may be worse,” he softly divulged.

“It’s difficult to believe that you have the same blood flowing through veins as Demos and Darken Rahl,” Caid said. “You’re the first Rahl I’ve ever met who possess compassion, an actual heart.”

“Blood does not make the man.”

“True,” Caid sighed. “What do you think he wants this pendant for?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

“I have no idea,” the Commander released a ragged breath. “As you can see, Lord Rahl doesn’t tell me everything. Whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

“No, it can’t,” Richard agreed, tossing his stick into the fire. “But I intend to find out what it is and stop him.”

“Even at the cost of never being able to save the Mother Confessor?”

“If I have to,” Richard resolutely stated, standing to his feet and grabbing his pack. “I promise you that Demos won’t live to threaten another child’s life. I’ll just have to find another way to bring Kahlan back.”

Caid sat in silence as the Seeker walked away, absorbed in his own troubled thoughts. The soft crackling pop of the fire was his only companion at that moment as his men finished scouting the area. Demos Rahl had proved to be just as vile as his deceased brother. Their future suddenly looked darker than it ever had before.

XXX 

Despite the darkness that enveloped him, Richard picked his way through the thick knot of trees like it was the middle of the day, allowing the faint light of the moon peeking through the trees to guide him. He was anxious for a swim, to drown his thoughts and his heart in the lake for a little while.

He missed Kahlan so deeply he found it difficult to think, to breathe. He longed to see her blue eyes, her smile, to hear her laughter, inhale her scent that stirred his soul. He missed the way that she felt in his arms, the taste of her kiss on his lips.

He wanted to fall to the ground, to release the anguish and tears that threatened to choke him, but he knew that he couldn’t allow himself the luxury of indulging in his grief. Kahlan needed him; the children of D’Haran relied on him.

Coming to a stop by the edge of the lake, Richard dropped his pack with a heavy sigh, closing his eyes against the overwhelming sorrow that consumed him. Opening his eyes, he looked overhead at the moon peeking out between clouds, casting a beautiful glow over the lake.

Tugging his shirt free from his breeches, he pulled it over his head with a heavy sigh. Tossing it aside, he suddenly froze at the site of the stunning figure that unexpectedly appeared like an angelic vision in the darkness, walking around the edge of the lake straight towards him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 19

Richard couldn’t stop the trembling that overtook his body, completely taken aback by what he saw standing before him. Tears immediately pooled in his eyes, blurring his vision before slowly trickling down his cheeks. He couldn’t make his mind function, his mouth work. Time ceased to exist as he drank in the image of her standing there before him, alive and safe just as she always should be.

Kahlan’s heart was instantly racing at the site of him, so relieved to finally be staring into his warm brown eyes that she loved. He was so handsome, the light of the moon accentuating every dip and curve of his perfectly muscled body. His long brown hair softly lifted in the wind as he stared at her, time suddenly holding them both captive.

She had finally convinced Zedd to allow her to talk to Richard, to let him know that she was alive and that they were there with him. They needed to find out what was going on with him before she lost her soul to the Underworld once and for all.

“Richard,” she softly called to him as she took several steps towards him, the look of anguish and hurt in his face bringing tears to her own eyes. The anger she saw there as well caused her to hesitate.

“Ka…Kahlan?” he whispered, terrified that if he even breathed too hard she’d suddenly disappear from his life once more. He couldn’t go through that again. 

“Yes, Richard,” she gently replied, his special smile on her lips as she came to a stop several feet away from him, suddenly uncertain about the anger she could still feel from him. “I’m right here.”

“How?” he gasped, still frozen where he stood, his eyes wide in disbelief.

“Cara got to me just before it was too late,” she told him. “She brought me back with the breath of life.”

Richard swallowed past the thick knot that suddenly constricted his throat. Relief washed over him, knowing that Cara had been able to get to her in time. His emotions were a fierce firestorm within him, each vying for control. Unfortunately, anger won out first. He swiftly reached her in three long strides as he roughly grabbed her by her upper arms. 

“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” he growled in a deadly tone that sent thousands of icy needles shivering up her spine, his dark heated gaze penetrating deep into her core. “Your life is never to be sacrificed for mine. Never.”

The anger and hurt that she saw swimming in his brown depths, the tears streaming down his face tore her heart in two. She hadn’t anticipated him being angry with her…at least not to this extent. He was practically shaking from the extent of his frayed emotions.

But then his lips were suddenly against hers, so urgent and rough, his kiss filled with such a raw intensity that it made her legs weak. His swiftly pulled her to him, her body crushed against his in a fierce hold that spoke volumes about the sheer depths of his pain.

She quickly wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him with what strength she had left. She returned his kiss with equal passion, the air charged with a love so desperate, a deep-rooted need so very demanding. 

Her hands frantically roamed over the smooth muscles of his back, ignoring her lungs’ demand for air. The fine scruff of his beard was coarse against her face as he kissed her, further igniting her desire for him. She only wanted him. Nothing more. Her fingers dug urgently into his flesh as she pulled him closer, wanting to crawl inside of him and live forever where no one could ever hurt her, could never separate them ever again.

The feel of her in his arms once more, the urgency behind her kisses was making his head spin with an intoxicating need so intense he couldn’t begin to ignore it even if he wanted to. He wanted to take her right here, to have her and never let her go. 

He wanted to feel her body beneath his, to be cradled so sweetly between her legs, her arms holding him close as he showed her what beat in his heart. He needed to feel her velvet skin against his, to be surrounded deep within her heat and make her his over and over again.

Breaking the kiss, he sucked in air only to crush his lips to hers once more, so frantic to drink her in as his fingers slid up into her hair, holding her where he wanted her. He was like a dying man in a desert, suddenly finding the life-saving water that he so desperately needed to survive. She was his life-force, his will to live, the very air he breathed.

She released a throaty moan as his tongue began to stroke her mouth, so insistent and begging for so much more. She could feel her magic begin to stir deep within her core in response to the heated passion quickly igniting between them. 

Ignoring it, she broke the kiss only to whisper butterfly kisses along his cheekbone, using her lips to erase his tears. She felt so guilty for having been the cause of them, knowing the torment she had put him through.

“I’m so sorry, Richard,” she softly murmured as she continued to wipe away his tears. “I’m so sorry.”

He kept his eyes closed, relishing the feel of her lips on his face, her perfect form pressed so enticingly against his body. His tears continued to fall despite the joy and relief that was surging through him. This was his Confessor, his perfect Kahlan. She was here, safe from the Keeper. He could scarcely wrap his mind around the reality of it all, could hardly believe she was truly here in his arms kissing him like this. 

He drew a deep breath, inhaling her heavenly scent that was so very Kahlan, allowing it to sear into his memory. He could feel himself losing control, his need for her thundering through his veins with every whisper of her mouth against his skin. He gripped her arms again, a moan slipping past his lips as she continued to kiss along his jaw and down his throat.

He pulled her down to kneel in the grass with him, keeping her close to him. He never wanted to let go of her ever again. His head fell back, his fingers in her hair as she continued her teasing assault along his collarbone. His lips parted, his breaths coming in heated pulls for air as she kissed and nipped along the contours of his chest as a powerful fire erupted in his belly.

If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake.

“Kahlan…” he softly panted her name, torn between the pleasure thrumming through him with her focused attention and the desperate need to kiss her again.

That nagging small voice kept telling her that she needed to stop this now, but the feel of finally having him here with her was too much to sacrifice at that moment. The sweet ache erupting deep within her core demanded to be filled by him. She’d felt so alone, so empty for so long especially with him gone. Now she couldn’t bear going another moment without finally feeling him filling her so full for once in her life.

“Richard…” she breathed.

“I want you…here…now…” he panted, no longer caring about the consequences. He’d rather be confessed to her a thousand times over than to never know her at all or to lose her ever again. It was a fate worse than death being separated from her.

She wound her fingers into his hair, holding onto him with all she had as her lips connected with his once again. She could feel her strength waning, exhaustion fighting the deep longing for him that overwhelmed her. She wanted him so desperately, but she was losing the battle against the Keeper’s pull on her soul.

She reluctantly pulled back, biting her bottom lip as she pressed her forehead against his. She closed her eyes as the fierce chill that had settled into her bones fought against the heated need blazing through her veins. She couldn’t fight the shiver that suddenly gripped her, the weakness that invaded every fiber of her being as she fought to remain upright.

Richard grabbed hold of her face, his chest heaving with desire. “Kahlan…what is it?” he asked, panic suddenly spiking through him.

“It’s…it’s nothing,” she lied, averting her eyes. “I just…I thought I’d lost you.”

“Kahlan, you have no idea…what I’ve been through…believing that you were dead,” he softly panted, swallowing back the steadily rising tears again. “I wanted…I wanted to die.”

“No…no,” she heatedly replied, shaking her head and taking his face in her hands. “You can’t die! The only way I can survive the Underworld is knowing that you’re alive.”

“But you don’t have to worry about that now,” he softly smiled as his thumbs caressed her cheekbones. “You’re alive…here with me where you belong.”

He kissed her again, relishing the feel her lips against his, the taste of her dancing on his tongue. Something inside told him that something was wrong with her, but he didn’t want to listen to that little voice. He only wanted to cling to this moment with her with all that he had, to take her right here.

Kahlan responded to his kiss, unable to find the words to tell him that her soul was dying. He had been so devastated believing that she was dead. She couldn’t bear to tell him that she wasn’t going to last much longer.

“Let’s leave…now…” she breathed, her lips repeatedly brushing against his. “Zedd and Cara are just on the other side of those trees. We can be gone before anyone notices.”

“I…I can’t,” he softly told her with a heavy sigh of regret.

“Why not?” she cried, louder than she should have.

Zedd had used his magic on her when they had gotten back to camp, relieving the pain that had nearly taken her to her knees, but there was little he had been able to do yet about saving her soul. They needed to get out of here now before it was too late.

“I’m sorry, Kahlan, but I can’t,” he said, stroking her cheek, suddenly noticing how cool her skin was beneath his touch. “I want to leave with you more than you know, but if I do children will die.”

“What?” she whispered.

“I don’t have much time to explain,” he shook his head. “Darken Rahl has a twin brother named Demos. He has taken over D’Hara. He sent me here to find a tooth for him. If I don’t return with it in three days, he’ll start executing a child every day that I don’t return.”

Kahlan couldn’t believe what he was telling her. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not with everything at stake. She had to help him find the Stone of Tears before it was too late, before she lost her soul to the Keeper.

Richard studied her face, finally really looking at her. His heart nearly stopped beating altogether. Something was wrong with Kahlan. Her face was so pale, her skin icy cold to his touch. Dark shadows rested beneath her eyes, the bright spark that usually filled her sapphire orbs now gone.

“Kahlan…” he gasped, his bottom lip beginning to tremble. “What’s going on? What’s happening to you?”

“Richard…I…”

Kahlan quickly looked away from him, unable to meet his penetrating dark gaze. She should’ve known he’d sense something was wrong. He knew her better than anyone, even better than she knew herself. She never could keep anything from him.

“Tell me, Kahlan,” he heatedly demanded, tightening his grip on her arms. 

He knew he was holding her tighter than he should, but he couldn’t help it. He had gone from thinking that he’d lost her only to find her alive. And now…now he had a horrifying feeling he was losing her all over again.

“She’s dying.”

Richard turned to find Cara emerging from the shadows of the trees, the expression on her face telling him that it was the truth. The sharp pain that erupted in his chest nearly took his breath away. He couldn’t do this. Spirits, not again.

“No!” he angrily growled. “No, I’m not losing you again. I won’t survive it, Kahlan. Do you hear me?”

“Richard…I’m sorry,” she softly replied as she hung her head.

Unable to bear it, he crushed her to him, burying his face in her thick hair. He was unable to stop the tears that came now, feeling as though his life was being stripped from him again. He refused to allow it, refused to give her up to the Keeper. She belonged to him and no one else.

“I thought you said that Cara saved you,” he finally said, pulling back to look at the Mord’Sith now standing behind Kahlan.

“I did,” Cara stated, folding her arms against her chest. “I gave her the breath of life, but just before she came back from the Underworld, the Keeper spelled her soul. He’s slowly drawing her back to the Underworld. She’s running out of time.”

Richard could barely register what he was hearing. This couldn’t be happening. He had just gotten her back only to have her ripped out of his life once again.

“I will not let you die again,” he heatedly declared, firmly taking her face in his hands. “I will not rest until you are safe.”

“Richard, you can’t,” Kahlan retorted. “You have to find the tooth that Demos wants before it’s too late.”

“How much time does she have?” he asked, ignoring her words as he looked to Cara for answers.

“We don’t know,” she grimly replied, pursing her lips. “She’s getting weaker by the day. There’s no telling how much time she…”

“Listen to me,” Kahlan suddenly interrupted. “I won’t allow a single child to die because of me. You will find that tooth and get it back to Demos before worrying about saving me. I’ll be fine until then.”

Richard sank back on his heels, releasing his hold on her. He had never felt so trapped in his entire life. If he found the pendant, the children would be saved, but he would lose Kahlan. If he tried to save Kahlan, then children would perish.

Either way, someone was going to die. How could he survive losing Kahlan again?

“Can’t you just bring her back to life when he takes her?” he numbly asked, his voice suddenly sounding so dead and hopeless even to him.

“I’m afraid it won’t work,” Cara informed him. “Zedd said that Kahlan’s soul would still be linked to the Keeper. We have to find a way to break the link he has on her soul if we’re going to save her.”

“Doesn’t Zedd have any ideas, anything that we can do to stop this from happening?”

Staring into Cara’s sad eyes, Richard knew the answer without her even needing to respond. His hope was dying as swiftly as his heart.

“Kahlan, I will never give up on you,” he firmly stated as he studied her.

She suddenly looked thin, so very frail to him, so unlike the powerful Mother Confessor he knew that she was. It was as if he could actually see her life steadily being drained from her, the life that he deeply loved being stolen from him again. He couldn’t let that happen. They had a future together, one that he was more determined than ever to see become a reality.

“We better go,” Kahlan softly said as she pulled out of his hold on her and got to her feet, unable to bear the anguish that permeated his eyes once more because of her. “They’ll come looking for you soon.” 

Getting to his feet as well, Richard raked his fingers back through his hair in a vain attempt to rein in his breaking heart. “I will find the tooth tomorrow,” he adamantly declared. “I’ll get it to Demos and then I’ll find a way to save you, Kahlan.”

Her eyes fell closed, leaning into the palm of his hand as he cupped her face. She knew that he meant every word that he said, that he truly believed he could save her. She also knew if anyone could it would be Richard Cypher.

She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she didn’t know if she’d still be here in three days.

“We’ll be right here if you need us,” Kahlan told him. “We’ll always be close by.”

Richard leaned in, kissing her slowly, deeply, allowing his love for her to flow from him into her and touch her heart. He wanted her to know beyond question that he would always love her, always fight for her. Nothing could ever keep him from trying to get to her, not even the Keeper.

Pulling back, he softly placed a kiss to her forehead. “No matter what happens, Kahlan,” he softly told her. “I will come for you. Not even the Underworld could keep me from getting to you.”

Kahlan softly nodded, finding it difficult to speak. “I love you. No matter what happens, never forget that.”

“I love you, Kahlan,” he whispered, his heart in his throat once more as she turned to leave him.

Watching her walk away was almost as hard as leaving her dead in that field that day. It was as if she was walking out of his life just to die all over again, to die without him. He couldn’t bear to lose her. Seeing her alive again like this had been the greatest gift he’d ever received only to have her snatched out of his hands once more.

Turning to leave as well, Cara stopped at the sound of her name.

“Cara,” he softly called to her, his voice cracking with emotion. “Take care of her for me.”

“Always,” she promised with a small reassuring smile.

Richard watched as the Mord’Sith disappeared into the darkness of the shadows, leaving him all alone once again. The soft sounds of night suddenly seemed to come alive all around him in a futile attempt to keep him company, to console him. Nothing or no one but Kahlan could ever comfort him, could heal his hurting heart.

He slowly sank back down to the grass, his strength completely sapped from his body by the emotional toll all of this was taking on him. He’d willingly give up his soul for her; give up everything just to keep her alive and away from the Keeper. He’d cut out his heart with his own hands if it was required to save her.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the first clue as to what to do to save her or where to even start looking. And then there was the tooth pendant. He had no idea where to even begin to search for it inside the temple. He only had one day to do it.

But the sooner he found what he needed, the sooner he could return to the People’s Palace and find a way to save Kahlan. There was no other option, no other outcome that was even remotely conceivable in his mind.

Hot bitter tears began to fall once more as the weight of everyone’s lives resting squarely on his shoulders crashed down upon him. He slowly stood to his feet, removing the rest of his clothes. Wading into the water, he dipped beneath the surface, allowing the liquid to swallow him whole and pull him under.

He stayed submerged for as long as his lungs would possibly allow, wanting to stay there and never resurface, succumbing to the inky blackness of the murky depths. All of his hurts and worries, his fears and grief rested out there above the water’s surface in a world that he no longer wanted to be a part of.

If Kahlan wasn’t alive in this world, then he didn’t want to be either.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 20

Commander Caid woke with a start to find the bedroll lying next to him empty. He quickly looked around for any indication as to where the Seeker could have gone, but there was nothing.

When Richard had returned from the lake last night, he had seemed different, his entire demeanor changed somehow, but not for the better. It was as if some of the deep anguish that he’d been carrying had suddenly been lifted only to be replaced with a new one, something weightier, but no less devastating.

He couldn’t put his finger on what it could be. What could have possibly changed in the short time that he had gone to the lake and come back? He had returned even more withdrawn than before if that was even possible, completely preoccupied with a terrible inner struggle that he alone carried.

Looking to the east, he noticed that the sun was just now beginning to break over the horizon, the start of their third day since leaving. Two more days after today and children would start to die.

The harrowing thought made him angry. There was no need to hurt innocent children over this. He had sworn on his life that he would bring Richard Cypher back with the pendant that his Lord Rahl so desperately wanted. There was no point in ruthlessly killing children.

Demos was no better than Darken Rahl had been.

Looking to the other side of their camp, Caid found Ingram’s bedroll was empty as well. He felt a knot suddenly develop in the pit of his stomach. If Ingram did something to hurt the Seeker…

“What’s wrong?” one of his soldiers asked, waking to notice the panic on his Commander’s face.

“The Seeker is gone…so is Ingram,” he frowned.

His men quickly got to their feet, gathering their things. Caid was furious with himself for not keeping better watch over Ingram. He knew the man had a death wish for Richard, but didn’t know the cause of it. He should’ve kept a closer eye on him.

“Do you think the Seeker ran?” a soldier asked.

“He didn’t run,” Caid snapped as he strapped on his sword. “He wouldn’t risk the lives of children by saving himself. Besides, he wants to save the Mother Confessor. He’s not going to throw away his only chance at saving the woman he loves”

“Maybe he went to the temple already,” another soldier suggested.

“We check there first,” Caid ordered, his confidence in Richard Cypher beginning to waiver despite his hope otherwise.

XXX

Making his way through the dark temple, Richard knew he should’ve waited until closer to morning to return to this tomb of depravity, but he couldn’t have waited another moment. Kahlan needed him. He couldn’t afford to waste time sleeping when her life hung so precariously in the balance.

The Keeper could suddenly take her away at any moment, the next breath she drew her last. She couldn’t wait for him to find the pendant and return to the People’s Palace before helping her. She needed him now.

Even though she had insisted otherwise, he knew that she didn’t have three days. Tears suddenly threatened to choke him with the thought. It had been bad enough watching her die so senselessly like she had. To know that she was alive and slowly being sucked back into the Underworld was too much to bear now.

Richard tried to cling to the exhilarating rush of joy and relief that had flooded his system when he had discovered that Kahlan was alive. It was the only thing keeping him upright at that moment, knowing that she was still with him now for the moment. 

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, reliving the relief of having her in his arms, the intense love behind her kisses, the fiery passion he had felt behind her touch. Even now, it caused his blood to heat his veins.

Kahlan had wanted him just as desperately as he had wanted her. He had felt it, had been more than anxious to be consumed by their mutual hunger. He didn’t fear her magic, was more than ready to face her powers head on and prove his love for her. 

He knew that he wasn’t worthy of her; no man on earth possibly could be. But he loved her above all else, more than his own life. He was wholly resolved to making each day of her life better than the last, to making certain that she was loved, treasured for as long as there was breath in his body.

Thinking of the future that he was desperate to have with her helped banish a little of the anguish, steeling his resolve to push on. The sooner this was all over, the sooner he could save Kahlan.

Slowly sweeping his torch out before him, Richard found his boot prints in the dust covered stone floor, finding the spot that he had stopped last night. This time, though, he didn’t feel the crushing loneliness and anguish that he had experienced last night, the knee-buckling pain that nearly stole his very breath.

He wasn’t certain if it was because he now knew that Kahlan was alive or if the dark spirits that haunted these halls were just silently waiting and watching, plotting their next attack on him. He didn’t care what they did to him. They weren’t going to stop him, weren’t going to keep him from finding the tooth pendant that he needed to find.

Drawing a deep breath, Richard slowly began to make his way deeper into the temple. His hand absentmindedly fell to the hilt of his sword only to be reminded once again that he didn’t have it. Now when he needed it most, it wasn’t there for him.

He knew that he couldn’t have gotten it back from Kahlan and Cara or Caid and his men would have noticed it, would know that something was up. He didn’t want to risk them knowing his friends were there unless necessary.

Kahlan was in enough danger as it was without adding to it. Not to mention, he didn’t want Ingram anywhere near her especially after his vulgar remarks about what he’d love to do to her. She was already in a weakened state. She wouldn’t be able to defend herself against that monster.

He knew without hesitation that he would tear Ingram apart with his bare hands before he even had a chance to get close to her.

Richard came to a sudden stop, finding himself at a crossroad. He looked left and then right, not certain which way to go as he tried to peer through the darkness that still enveloped it. The only sound was his own steady breathing, the eerie silence surrounding him making his skin crawl.

It felt like the calm before the impending thunderstorm.

Neither direction appeared to be the right one to him, neither revealing their secrets so he decided to continue straight ahead. Soft morning rays began to filter through small windows, allowing him more light to see by. 

He knew that Caid and his men would likely be awake by now, finding him gone. He didn’t care about them or if they thought he had escaped. All that mattered was saving Kahlan’s life and the lives of those D’Haran children who would be slaughtered if he didn’t succeed.

Observing his dreary surroundings, Richard was struck by how cool the air was despite the humidity of summer. There were small pockets of air that were decidedly cooler than others, making it feel as if icy fingers were suddenly brushing against his skin at times.

It reminded him of how cold Kahlan had felt in his arms last night, causing him shudder to think of how her beautiful life, her soul that was so precious to him was being stolen by the Keeper. It almost made his knees buckle to think about it.

Following the corridor as it wound its way deeper and deeper inside, Richard felt as though unseen eyes were upon him, following his every move while plotting their own. It sent shivers racing through him.

He carefully drew his dagger from his boot, gripping it tightly as his dark eyes darted anxiously about in anticipation of the unseen and unknown. He knew his dagger wasn’t going to be much of a defense against whatever was lurking alive or dead inside of these walls, but it was better than nothing.

A sudden creaking sound caused a cold sweat to break out across his brow. He froze in his tracks, anxiously looking about him. Finding nothing, he continued on, his breaths coming faster, harder. Every muscle was coiled tight like a spring set to release at the slightest provocation.

He brushed aside thick curtains of cobwebs that danced in his face, the dust that his boots kicked up almost suffocating. He found the walls of the temple to be covered in strange black symbols that made no sense and only served to make his pulse race faster with the sense of foreboding dread that this monument to wickedness seemed to generate.

An unusual smell assaulted him the further he went, one that he could only determine reminded him of death. It was a stench that he had never smelled before, couldn’t quite put his finger on. Even with all of his years as a wood’s guide finding lost travelers who had died or stumbling across decaying animals could compare to this.

It was similar to burning pitch or flesh and yet different somehow, an acrid stench that burned in his nostrils. It became stronger the further he went, drawing him into its web. Turning a corner, he found a large door waiting for him at the end of the corridor. It was barely upright, its hinges practically ripped out of the doorframe.

Placing his torch in an iron wall sconce, Richard gingerly placed the blade of his dagger between his teeth. He carefully moved the door aside, the large piece of wood easily coming free from its fragile hold on its hinges. Setting it out of the way, he quickly took the dagger from his teeth, listening for anything that still might be coming for him.

Hearing nothing, he took his torch from the sconce again. He warily peered inside, his eyes adjusting to the pitch blackness that encased the room. Thankfully the stench didn’t appear to be any worse as Richard entered, slowly sweeping the torch light across the walls.

He suddenly heard the raking of claws across stone as if something was scampering further back into the shadows and out of sight, but he ignored it as he made his way to another torch hanging on the wall. He touched his flame to it, watching as it immediately ignited into a bright ball of light, all the others around the room bursting into flames as well and casting an orange glow on the ancient walls.

Turning, he suddenly felt dizzy with what he found. 

Corpses lay strewn all over the large circular room, more than a dozen at least. Their skeletal remains were in every position imaginable – some kneeling as if in desperate beseeching prayer for their lives, others so twisted and mangled it was difficult to make out whether they were even human or not. 

It made his stomach churn at the obvious gruesome way their lives had ended even though they were priests of the Keeper. He wasn’t certain anyone should be subjected to whatever had created such a violent death for these men.

Taking a couple of steps closer towards the center of the room, Richard noticed a large hole in the middle of the stone floor. It was a perfectly cut circle in the stone, obviously meant for some unknown purpose.

Curiosity got the better of him as he carefully inched his way closer to the large crater in the middle of the room. He was a little worried about what he might find after what he’d just discovered in this room. The pungent smell suddenly seemed a little less powerful, making him wonder if he’d grown more accustomed to it.

Creeping past a skeleton whose bones were barely holding together, he inched to the edge of the pit, holding his torch out over it. He carefully peered over the side, his heart pounding against his ribcage with what he was about to find.

“I could so easily push you in right now and be rid of you for good.”

Startled, Richard immediately looked up to find Ingram filling the doorway, his sword in his hand, his massive size blocking what little light filled the corridor behind him. The look of scorn on his face had little effect on the Seeker as he straightened up, tightening his grip on his dagger.

“What are you doing here?” Richard snapped as he warily backed away from the bottomless pit.

“Following you,” he said as he slowly entered the room. “We have unfinished business we still need to settle.”

Richard fully turned to face Ingram as he inched closer to him, keeping the beast of a man in front of him. “I don’t have time for your silly little vendetta against me. There are children’s lives at stake.”

“Silly?” Ingram angrily spat out, droplets of saliva landing in his beard. “I wouldn’t call it silly after everything that you put my sister through.”

“I don’t even know who you are let alone your sister,” Richard spat out in confusion as he wracked his brain for what this man could possibly be referring to. 

He’d never touched another woman except for Kahlan, had never wanted anyone but her. Who could he have possibly hurt to incite such hatred and rage? He’d only ever fought to help others, risking his life for the well-being of those he’s tried to protect.

“You have no idea do you?” Ingram shook his head in anger as he circled closer to the Seeker.

“I don’t have time for this, Ingram,” Richard fumed, his rage heating his blood. “If I don’t find the pendant and bring it to Demos in the next three days children will start losing their lives.”

“It’s no concern to me,” the big man shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for far too long to let it slip by me again.”

“And what about the pendant?” Richard tried to reason with him. “What are you going to tell your Lord Rahl or Commander Caid when I’m dead and you have no pendant? They’ll have your head.”

“Not before I have yours,” Ingram sneered as he lunged towards his prey.

Richard quickly dodged out of the way of the larger man, using his smaller size and quickness to his advantage. Unable to stop himself, Ingram nearly collided headlong into the wall with the full force of his weight.

Growling under his breath, he swiftly turned around, anxious to take another shot at the Seeker. “You’re not going to escape me. You’re going to meet your Confessor in the Underworld sooner than you think,” he yelled as he dove at him again, swinging his sword.

Richard leapt back out the way of the soldier’s blade, narrowly missing having his abdomen sliced open. He spun quickly, the blade of his dagger slicing Ingram’s arm. The wound did little to slow the man down, only adding to his boiling fury and further provoking him.

Doing his best to keep some distance between him and the enraged man, Richard fought for a way to escape. He was practically defenseless with a small dagger compared to the ferocious soldier with a sword. It was like battling a Shadrin with a stick.

He took another step back as Ingram took a threatening step towards him, causing the Seeker to stumble and fall backwards over a pile of bones on the floor. Richard quickly rolled to the side, the blade of Ingram’s sword coming down with a powerful clank as the steel meet the stone floor.

“Aren’t you even going to tell me what I did before you take my head off?” Richard asked through panting breaths as he rolled up and back onto his feet. He hoped if he kept the man talking, he could figure some sort of a way out of this and get back to what he was here for in the first place.

“I will tell you just before you breathe your last breath, as I watch your blood spill from your body,” Ingram ferociously growled as he dove at him once more, throwing the full weight of his body at the Seeker.

Richard wasn’t quick enough to get out of the way of his sudden move this time, Ingram’s shoulder plowing straight into his chest and knocking the air from his lungs. They landed on the floor in a heap, both losing their grip on their weapons.

Breathing heavily, Ingram was stunned by a sudden fist to his jaw as Richard struggled to get away from the man before he had him completely pinned to the ground. Struggling, they rolled and wrestled, swapping punches and kicks, each trying to get the upper hand.

Blood oozed from the corner of Richard’s mouth as they rolled again, Ingram pinning him to the ground as the Seeker’s head came to rest at the edge of the giant pit. He could feel icy cold air coming up from the bottom of the abyss as if something was breathing down there, the stench he’d smelled before suddenly growing stronger.

A triumphant sneer broke across Ingram’s grimy face just before his fist connected with Richard’s jaw, dazing him. He could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth as he fought to remain conscious. Kahlan was counting on him to save her, children’s lives rested on his shoulders. He couldn’t allow this man and his petty vengeance get in the way of that.

Ingram’s large meaty hands came to rest around Richard’s throat as he leaned over him, his putrid breath pulsating hot against his face. “Look at me and tell me you don’t know who my sister is?” Ingram snarled. “Tell me!”

“I don’t know!” Richard growled with equal fury as his hand blindly patted the floor, anxiously searching for something, anything that he could use as a weapon.

“You killed my sister…Denna…” he revealed. “And now I’m going to kill you!”

Richard froze in shock at the sudden revelation as Ingram began to squeeze, tightening his grip on the Seeker’s throat. He’d had no idea that Denna even had a brother, that this was the root of this man’s need for revenge. 

He struggled beneath the man’s death-grip on his throat, his head beginning to spin from the lack of air. Just then his fingers brushed against something as unconsciousness began to invade his body. He swiftly grabbed hold of it, tightening his grip on it as his breath was rapidly being choked from his body.

With one swift motion, Richard swung his arm up, his newly found weapon connecting with the side of Ingram’s throat. The man’s eyes widened as he gasped in shock. He immediately released Richard as he grabbed hold of the broken bone that was now protruding from his neck.

Richard quickly pushed himself out from under the man, scooting back across the floor and out of his way. Ingram leapt to his feet as he pulled the fragmented bone from his neck. He stared down in shock at the Seeker still lying on the floor trying to catch his breath.

Ingram took a couple of steps towards Richard in a vain attempt to get to him, but suddenly fell face first to the ground, a dagger protruding from his back. Looking up, Richard saw Caid standing in the doorway, a look of relief filling the Commander’s face.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 21

Kahlan sat curled up leaning against the trunk of a tree, her green blanket wrapped around her in an effort to banish the chill that just refused to leave her. She stifled a yawn as she tilted her head back, her weary gaze fixed on the sun beginning to cut its way through early morning’s darkness.

She had told them she would take first watch, promising to wake Cara next, but never did. She was too afraid to fall asleep, too terrified that she wouldn’t wake up this time especially after what had happened yesterday morning when they couldn’t wake her.

Instead, she had stayed awake all night, keeping vigilant watch over her friends, her thoughts a swirling cyclone she couldn’t begin to tame. She had silently snuck back to Richard’s camp in the middle of the night just to watch him as he slept. She had wanted so badly to slip into camp and to curl up next to him. She wanted to feel his firm body pressed against her back, his arms wrapped so protectively around her in a silent promise that no harm would ever come to her as they slept.

Watching him sleep last night, Kahlan could tell that he was struggling with the things that she had told him. Gone was the peaceful boyish look that usually filled his features as he slept and in its place was terrible heartache. There was a sense of sadness that enveloped him, a dreadful struggle that he carried with him into his dreams.

And once again, it was because of her.

She had wanted so badly to go to him, to comfort and reassure him, to allow him to hold her close like she knew that he so desperately needed. Instead, she had forced herself to leave after several long moments of silently watching him, knowing that she was risking his safety if she was discovered. She didn’t want to be the cause of any more trouble for him.

Yawning, Kahlan slowly straightened out her legs, softly groaning with how stiff she had become from sitting in the same position for as long as she had. Leaning over, she poked the fire, stoking its flames as breakfast simmered in the pot.

Settling back again, she let her thoughts wander back to last night, to the relief that had flooded her at finally seeing him again. She knew that she should have expected his anger, but how could she have just stood by and done nothing, letting him die like that? She would gladly take his fury over watching him die.

To feel his lips so hungry against hers, his fingers in her hair holding her to him had been so electric, setting her entire body on fire with a need so intense she thought she should be consumed by it. They had come so close to making love right there in the tall grasses by the lake. She had wanted him, had needed him so desperately at that moment.

She had been so close to satisfying her desire for him, finally knowing his touch in every way imaginable. It scared her how willing she had been in that heated moment to take Richard’s soul regardless of the cost. How could she have allowed her desire for him take such control of her like that?

She couldn’t falter, couldn’t let her resolve slip or Richard would pay the ultimate price. She couldn’t allow that to happen no matter the chaotic circumstances swirling around them or how badly they wanted each other.

No matter how magical and passionate making love with him would be, it wasn’t worth losing him for a night of pleasure. She loved him too much to lose the man that he was, the one who had so completely captured her heart.

Kahlan felt a sharp pain suddenly erupt in her chest either from the thought of losing him or from the Keeper’s hold on her soul she didn’t know. All she did know was that she couldn’t breathe, her chest constricting with painful spasms. It felt as if an enormous gar was crushing her beneath its full weight.

She lurched forward, her hand coming to rest against her chest as she attempted to calm herself. Her heart began to race, her body trembling as she fought to breathe. It felt as though she had no control over her body as she gasped for air, fear spiking through to her core.

Her vision blurred as she grabbed her throat, her fingers clawing her neck as she silently prayed for a miracle that would spare her life. She wanted to cry out for help, but she couldn’t make her voice work. She couldn’t go, couldn’t leave Richard yet.

And then just as suddenly as it had started, it was all over. Her chest heaved as she gulped in air, panic searing through her. She didn’t know what was worse – the not knowing when her next breath would be her last or finally coming face to face with the Keeper.

Kahlan leaned her head back against the tree trunk again, closing her eyes in an effort to calm the fear that clawed at her heart. She couldn’t leave now. Richard needed her. The Seeker couldn’t continue without his Confessor.

She wanted to believe that Richard couldn’t go on without her, but she knew that he would have to if he didn’t find a way around her magic. If she survived this, she couldn’t let the line of Confessors die with her. The need to have a daughter was quickly becoming more and more important to her, more of a necessity than it ever had before.

She tried to clear her mind of her fears, forcing herself to remember how it had felt to be near Richard that night. She had to survive, had to hang on for as long as possible for him. She couldn’t bear putting him through that nightmare again.

The hurt and anger that had filled his face still haunted her every time that she closed her eyes for even the briefest moment. She didn’t think that she’d ever witnessed such intense anguish in his eyes before like she had at that moment. It broke her heart.

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

The irritated voice of the Mord’Sith cut through her thoughts. “I wasn’t tried,” she lied, immediately regretting it. Cara would see right through it.

“Right,” she snorted as she got up. “For being the Mother Confessor, you’re a terrible liar.”

“I didn’t want to sleep,” Kahlan tried again, moving closer to the fire to check on the stew.

“You were afraid we wouldn’t be able to wake you again,” Cara knowingly said. It was more of a statement than an actual question.

Kahlan could only nod her head as she ladled breakfast into a bowl for the Mord’Sith, avoiding making eye contact as she handed it to her. She detested feeling so weak, so vulnerable. This was one enemy that she couldn’t use her daggers or her magic against. She was going on sheer will alone now.

“Is that breakfast I smell?” Zedd suddenly said as if in his sleep.

“Afraid so,” Cara frowned. “Seems the Mother Confessor felt you and I needed a full night’s sleep for a change.”

Zedd’s bushy white eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What?” he exclaimed as he turned his attention to Kahlan. “What in creation made you do that? You need your sleep more than the two of us do.”

“I can’t fall asleep and risk the chance of never waking up again,” she softly replied, her gaze locked on the warm bowl resting in her lap as she tried to absorb the heat from it.

“You can’t go without sleep forever,” Cara scowled.

Kahlan pulled her hair back behind her ear, frustration etched in her face. “I know that. I just need to hang on until Zedd can find a way to break the link.”

“And I’ve been wracking my brain for days, but every time I think I’ve got the solution, I also find a valid reason why it won’t work,” he grumbled, eagerly taking a seat by the fire and grabbing a bowl.

“We have to try something,” Cara stated between bites. “She’s running out of time.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” he groused. “There is something that I was thinking of trying, but I’m not sure that it’ll work.”

“I don’t think that we have much of a choice,” Cara retorted. “Look at her. She looks worse every day.”

Kahlan frowned with her words, knowing that it was probably true, but still not liking to hear how quickly she was deteriorating. She’d like to think that she was holding on fairly well given the difficult circumstances surrounding her.

“It could backfire…end up speeding up the process,” Zedd informed them before he shoveled in a large spoonful of stew.

“I’m headed there anyway as it is,” she shook her head. “It’s a risk worth taking. I’ll do whatever I have to.”

“You’re not there yet, my dear,” he reassured her with a smile. “And we’re going to make sure that you don’t before your time.”

Kahlan attempted to return his reassuring smile, but she knew it wasn’t very convincing. The way that she felt at that moment contradicted the reassurance the old Wizard tried to give her. Her head was pounding, her eyes burning. Her insides felt as if they were being ripped to shreds at times. Warmth was something that she could never find, her body nothing but a frozen shell.

“What are we going to do about Richard?” she asked, wanting to shift the subject away from herself.

“We sit and wait,” Zedd simply said, filling his bowl again.

“How can we just sit and wait when Richard is in that wicked place?” Kahlan asked, worry thrumming through her veins. “Spirits only know what he’ll run into inside that temple.”

Cara couldn’t help but feel Kahlan’s helpless frustration. She felt it as well. “There’s not much we can do without giving our presence away.”

“Richard has enough riding on his shoulders right now without having to worry about us being in there as well,” Zedd reminded her. “I think the best thing we can possibly do for him right now is to stay put and be there if he needs us.”

“Isn’t this the least bit hard for you?” Kahlan snapped in exasperation, setting her bowl aside as she got to her feet.

“More than you know,” he admitted, his face suddenly sad.

“I’m going to the lake to get cleaned up,” she murmured, grabbing her pack. “We need to try to break this link the Keeper has on my soul when I return. Richard’s going to need our help. I’m not going to be any good to him if I’m in the Underworld.”

Cara and Zedd watched the Mother Confessor as she disappeared into early morning’s shadows, both feeling the weight of her frustration. They knew they were not just running out of options, they were running out of time…faster than either of them cared to admit.

XXX

Pulling himself together, Richard slowly got to his feet, retrieving his fallen dagger. He never thought he’d be so relieved to see Commander Caid and his men, but they couldn’t have come at a better time. They had saved his life.

“Are you alright?” Caid asked as he entered the room.

“I’m fine,” Richard replied as he fought to catch his breath. “Thank you.”

“You shouldn’t have come here alone,” Caid scowled as he bent over to retrieve his dagger from Ingram’s back. “It’s too dangerous to be in here alone.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Richard said, nodding his head to the dead soldier. “Besides, I think you just helped take care of the biggest threat to me.”

Sticking his dagger into his belt, the Commander turned back to the Seeker. “I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he tried to get his revenge against you no matter what his orders were.”

“He tried,” the Seeker sighed heavily. “Thankfully he didn’t succeed.”

“Have you found the pendant yet?”

“No, not yet,” Richard shook his head in frustration. “I had just come across this strange room when Ingram showed up.”

“Do you think it could be hidden in here somewhere?”

“Could be,” he muttered as his gaze roamed over the room. “It’s hard to say. It could take weeks to search this place. Unfortunately, we only have one day.”

Caid stroked his goatee as he studied the skeletal forms strewn about the room. “Any idea what happened to these men?”

Richard racked his fingers back through his long hair as he too studied the remains. “I don’t know for certain, but I have a very bad feeling that whatever it is that killed these men could still be living down in that pit,” Richard grimly said.

Kneeling down beside a skeleton that was still in the praying position, Caid lightly ran a finger over one of the bones. “It has to have been magic.”

“But who conjured it and why?” the Seeker asked.

“Maybe these priests did and it went wrong somehow,” Caid suggested.

“Could be,” Richard muttered. “Still doesn’t explain this other tooth pendant that is linked to mine or how it came to be.”

“Or why Lord Demos Rahl wants it,” Caid frowned.

Richard looked up at the man, struck by his words. He no longer sounded like the same man who had captured him so many days ago, the devote follower of the ways of Lord Rahl. This was a man who was seeing his leader in a whole new light, one that he didn’t particularly like.

“I’m worried about that too,” Richard admitted.

“You’re now down to three men to protect you,” Caid informed him. “We’ll do our best to see that you find it. We can’t allow any children to be sacrificed.”

“Agreed,” he nodded. “We’ll start looking in this room first. If it’s not here, I have no idea where to look next, but we can’t give up. There’s too much at stake.”

XXX

Demos licked his lips as his lustful gaze wandered over the frightened young woman standing before him. He slowly approached her, his barely restrained control evident on his face as he came to a stop before the terrified woman. Her fear only aroused him all the more.

Reaching out, he ran his forefinger lightly over her fair cheekbone, following along the contour of her face and down her slender neck. She really was quite beautiful he thought to himself. A smirk sprung to his lips as she trembled beneath his touch, a soft whimper escaping as his fingers brushed along her breast.

“Yes…she’ll do nicely, indeed,” he huskily murmured, his eyes darkening with his lustful thoughts. “And you swear that she’s never been touched by a man before?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Egremont quickly replied. “Her purity is still intact.”

“Excellent,” Demos drawled as he circled his prey, his eyes never leaving her luscious form. He paused, his lips suddenly close against her ear, his warm breath causing a tingle to shiver up her spine. “Tonight, I’m going to let you experience unimaginable pleasure,” he whispered. “You should feel privileged to have been chosen to come to my bed.”

Tears silently fell from her pale blue eyes as she stood still as stone. Everything inside of her wanted to run, but she knew she would never make it. She didn’t dare move. She was going to have to endure this hellacious nightmare if she ever hoped to survive.

“What is your name?”

“L-Laira,” she stammered.

“Laira,” he repeated, allowing each syllable to roll over his tongue like a fine wine as he kissed along the shell of her ear. “What a beautiful name for such a beautiful young lady.”

Laira didn’t say a word as he continued to kiss his way to her full lips. She swallowed hard as his mouth finally pressed hard against hers. Pulling back, he ran his fingers through her blond hair.

“I can hardly wait until tonight,” he told her. “Take her to her suite so she can prepare herself for my visit later.”

“Aye, my Lord,” Egremont said, nodding to the guards to take her away.

Laira went easily with the men who took her by her arms, resigned to her terrible fate tonight. She’d heard rumors of how he’d ravaged virgin girls, his fondness for them, the brutality involved. There were a few who never survived it.

She knew there was no hope, no escape. She wished the earth would suddenly open up and swallow her before tonight. She just hoped that Jacob would be able to forgive her, would still want to marry her after tonight, if she survived.

“You did very well this time, Egremont,” Demos grinned with wicked delight as he watched the young woman being escorted from the room.

“I am glad that you are pleased,” Egremont smiled with pride.

“I’m sure there’s been no sign of my brother yet,” Demos stated as he paused to gaze out of a nearby window.

“No, nothing yet,” the General informed him. “I’ll alert you the moment he returns.”

“It’s still early,” Demos murmured, his excitement over tonight’s activities suddenly diverted with thoughts of the prized that soon would be his. “We need to be prepared should he not return by the fifth day.”

“Did you have a child in mind, my Lord?” Egremont asked, suddenly nervous.

He didn’t agree with the notion of murdering innocent children. On the other hand, there wasn’t anything he could do about it or stop Demos from doing whatever he pleased. He didn’t want to be the next one to lose his head. He had learned long ago from Darken Rahl it was best to look out for his own interests than to be worried about others.

“I do actually,” Demos muttered deep in thought. “How many children does Commander Caid have?”

“Commander Caid has three I believe,” Egremont replied, stiffening at the thought of sending one of the Commander’s children to his death. “Two sons and an infant daughter.”

“How old is his eldest son?”

Egremont considered his question for a moment, hoping that the child’s young age might dissuade him. “He is five years old if I’m not mistaken.”

“Good…that’s very good,” Demos slowly nodded his head. “Retrieve the boy tomorrow. Have him brought to the Palace so that he’ll be ready should my brother not arrive on time.”

“Aye, my Lord,” the General softly responded with a fist to his suddenly heavy heart. “I shall send the men immediately.”

Demos smiled to himself as he continued to stare out the window, his thoughts closer to the Deep Nothing than the People’s Palace at that moment. Soon, he would have what he needed.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 22

Darken Rahl slowly paced back and forth perched atop his favorite spot, his hands clasped behind his back. If he was to have a favorite spot in this appalling world, he guessed this would have to be it. From here, he could see a constant rolling sea of writhing anguish and misery. It comforted him in a way, knowing that others were suffering an even worse eternity than he was.

Also from this vantage point, he could watch the Mother Confessor’s soul being sucked back into this abyss that she belonged in. If he was to be trapped here for all eternity than he was going to make certain that he fully enjoyed himself.

Her soul had started out as only a faint flickering glow suspended in midair amidst the greenish haze but had been steadily growing brighter and bigger ever since it had first appeared days ago. It had been a painstakingly slow process.

Her essence was beginning to take the shape of a woman now, though, a soft white light outlining her perfect feminine curves. Soon, Kahlan would be here filling that brilliant void and bringing a bit of pleasure to his miserable so-called existence. He found himself growing more anxious for her to finally return.

“It won’t be long now.”

The Keeper’s echoing voice filled his ears, causing him to pause in his steps. They were both growing anxious for the Mother Confessor’s emanate arrival. And they each had their own plans for her once she returned.

“I can hardly wait,” Darken smirked with lustful excitement. “It will be more than devastating to my dear brother to lose her again. He’ll be all but completely debilitated by it. He probably won’t be able to go on or find the Stone of Tears.”

“And then I’ll be free to rule the earth,” the Keeper said. “The Creator will curse the day that she banished me here.”

“And Richard will curse the day that he ever chose to cross me,” Darken spat out, his gaze fixed on the shimmering outline of Kahlan.

XXX

Richard slowly made his way around the large circular room, studying the dark symbols on the walls, hoping that something would jump out at him, pointing him to what he so desperately needed. Unfortunately he found it more than difficult to focus now, his thoughts repeatedly wandering back to the fact that Kahlan was dying and there was absolutely nothing that he could do to stop it.

He didn’t know the first thing about magic or how to break the Keeper’s link on Kahlan’s soul. All he did know was that he would give everything in the world that he had to save her, never surrendering her to anyone.

His heart stuttered at the thought of having to relive the nightmare of her dying again. He didn’t think he could endure it, but also he knew that never knowing her or being a part of her life was a far worse fate than he could begin to imagine.

Kahlan had opened him up to a whole new world, one that quickly revolved around her. He was a better person, a better man for having known her. And now she was being taken away from him all over again. 

How was he supposed to be able to cope with that? How could he just hand over his heart, his life like this and survive it? 

It was unimaginable. His heart couldn’t begin to accept it.

He had a future that he intended to share with her, one that he was more than prepared to fight for with his very last breath if necessary. He would discover a way around her powerful magic, would find a way to love her in the passionate way that he did every night in his dreams.

But he had to save her before he could do that, had to keep her out of the Underworld and away from his brother and the Keeper. And he still had to find the Stone of Tears.

Hopelessness welled up from deep within his core, threatening to choke the life out of him. There were so many obstacles standing in their way, fighting to keep them from succeeding, determined to keep him and Kahlan apart.

He had always been the optimistic one, the one who had always kept hope alive for the both of them. He knew that Kahlan wanted to believe in their future together more than anything, but tradition and her magic kept her from truly trusting him in this.

Now, he was beginning to feel the bleakness weighing down on him, despair and misery hanging over their heads. He honestly didn’t see a way around what lay ahead of them this time.

His life was truly over. He was going to lose Kahlan. The Keeper was going to win.

Casting a glance at the Seeker beside him, Caid noticed the bleak sense of sorrow that had suddenly washed over him. He was struggling with an overwhelming burden beyond what he could ever begin to imagine. 

He couldn’t envision losing the woman he loved. If anything ever happened to his wife or children, he had no idea how he would ever begin to cope with it. They were his life.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Richard was startled to find himself looking into the concerned eyes of the Commander. “We will find the pendant, Seeker,” he reassured him. “We won’t allow a single child to lose their life because of us.”

He slowly nodded his head in response, his throat unexpectedly thick with unshed tears. What Caid didn’t know was that by keeping the children alive, Richard was singlehandedly sentencing Kahlan to death. He might as well run her through with his own sword with what he was allowing happen to her.

How could he ever begin to live with that knowledge let alone the reality of it?

“It’s got to be in this room somewhere,” the Seeker replied, clearing his throat to abolish his rising emotions. “There is something special about this room. Its design…these symbols on the walls…they all carry some purpose. Maybe that purpose is also connected to the tooth pendant Demos wants.”

“What power does this pendant have?”

“Demos wouldn’t tell me, but I fear it can’t be anything good.”

“I just hope we find it before we come face to face with whatever killed these priests.”

“I agree,” Richard grimly said, reminded once again of the fact that he didn’t have his sword close at hand.

Finding a stack of books and scrolls, Richard knelt down and began searching through them, hoping to find something that could help him. The fight with Ingram had wasted valuable time that neither Kahlan nor the children had.

Kahlan’s life was ebbing away faster than he could possibly begin to stop it.

He was just relieved that he no longer had to worry about Ingram or when he would finally take his revenge. The revelation about Denna being his sister had sent his mind reeling. He could still scarcely believe the truth of it. How could he have possibly known?

Every encounter with her over the last year had been in defense of his own life or the lives of others, an attempt to survive. What had happened to her had been no one’s fault but her own. She had tortured him mercilessly in an effort to break him, to steal his heart. What she didn’t know was that his heart had already been taken by Kahlan. There was nothing for Denna to steal. 

Mord’Sith or not, her life, her choices had taken her down a path that could have only lead to self-destruction.

“Can I ask you a question?” Caid abruptly asked, breaking the eerie silence that filled the room.

“You can try,” Richard murmured as he brushed dust off of a small box he’d found hidden beneath a stack of books. “Not sure I’ll be able to answer it or not.”

“What happened to you last night when you went to the lake?”

Wiping dust off the box, Richard paused, turning to look up at the soldier standing near him. How could he tell him that he’d discovered that Kahlan was alive, briefly healing his broken heart, only to learn moments later that he was going to lose her once more. He felt so helpless when he had watched her walk away from him, leaving him all alone by the lake that night.

“Nothing,” he shrugged indifferently, turning his attention back to the small box he held in his hands. “Why do you think something happened?”

Caid turned his attention back to a large pile of rubble and stone he was sorting through, not really certain himself why he was asking him. “I don’t know,” he shook his head, his brow furrowed in thought. “You just seemed different when you came back, like something had happened to you. 

“You were a walking dead man before, no spark of life inside of you after you lost your Confessor. When you returned from the lake, you were different somehow. It was like you had a seen a spirit or…”

A low rumbling growl abruptly filled the air, cutting the Commander off in mid-sentence. Everyone froze where they were, each afraid to move. Richard slowly got to his feet, pulling his dagger from his boot as he carefully turned around, his eyes quickly roaming around the room only to settle on the circular hole in the stone floor. 

He could hear Caid draw his sword, the two soldiers on the other side of the room following suit. They each looked warily about them, searching for the source of the noise, but not really wanting to find it.

The low growl intensified, causing an icy chill of dread to shiver through Richard, his skin prickling with the dark magic that he suddenly could feel permeating the air. Looking to the two men on the other side of the room, he didn’t think that he’d ever seen hardened soldiers look so terrified in his life. He could tell they were fighting the overwhelming urge to run, but yet remained frozen where they stood.

The shriek that suddenly erupted from the hole in the center of the room split the air like a bolt of lightning. A snap like thunder rolled through the room causing all of them to take several steps back, their backs inches away from the wall that encircled them.

Richard’s eyes were fixed on the pit as the ground began to quake, thin greenish black smoke curling up from its dark depths. He tightened his grip on his dagger, his heart beginning to pound in his chest with every terrifying moment that slipped by.

Long curled claws suddenly appeared over the edge of the pit, scraping sharply across the stone floor and causing the fine hairs on the Seeker’s neck to stand on end. He waited with bated breath, his eyes widening in fear of what was about to reveal itself.

“We need to get out of here…now,” one of the soldiers said, panic lacing his deep voice.

“No…don’t move!” Caid ordered. “Running may only attract its attention.”

“And staying here could be just as lethal,” the man retorted.

“Don’t…move...” Richard bit out, emphasizing each word with a deadly tone that caught everyone’s attention. He didn’t know why he knew that running would be a sure death only that he had a bad feeling that it would be.

He didn’t know how they had managed to awaken the beast, only that they had somehow. Now they were going to have to find a way to fight the thing.

Caid glanced at the man standing beside him, noticing how calm he appeared despite the apprehension that swam in his eyes. Even though the Seeker was the enemy of the Lord Rahl, he couldn’t help but trust him, have faith in his instincts. He’d heard rumors about the man’s exceptional skills, his innate abilities as the Seeker. If there was a way out of this, Richard Cypher would find it.

Short black horns jutted out from the top of the creature’s head, a tuft of coarse gray hair peeking out as it slowly lifted itself out of its den. An audible gasp escaped the Seeker’s lips as large red glowing eyes peered out over the edge of the pit. It felt as if its furious gaze was burning a gaping hole straight through him.

The source of the rank vapor permeating the air became obvious as the creature snorted, greenish black smoke spewing from its nostrils. It took its time as it raised itself out of the pit as if knowingly building their terror and prolonging their miserable demise.

Its head fully clear of the abyss, it roared something other-worldly, something so unnatural and hideous it made Richard subconsciously jump back another step. It had sharp fangs that flashed in the torch light, saliva dripping from its open mouth.

Its fiery red eyes darted anxiously about, taking in everything and missing nothing. There was nothing but pure wickedness in its heated gaze as it paused to consider each man standing in the room, assessing its newest victims.

“Dear spirits,” Caid softly gasped as the creature finally stood on the stone floor, revealing its immense size.

Richard gaped at the creature, shocked by the enormity of the thing looming larger than life itself before them. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen or encountered before. It appeared human in some of its movements and yet nothing about it was. Patches of wiry dark gray hair randomly sprouted from pale skin from the top of its head to its feet. It seemed almost similar to a Shadrin and yet something all its own.

It could have only come from the dark wicked imagination of the Keeper himself.

It snorted again, creating more of the thin green fog that hung in the air. The stench of its breath was nauseating as it tilted its head back and released another rolling screech of anger that seemed to rattle the very walls that surrounded them.

All four men stood still like statues, no one having any idea what to do next or how to go about stopping the creature they had somehow awaken from its slumber. The problem was figuring out how to get it back into the pit again.

Richard couldn’t help the fury that surged through him at that moment. They didn’t have time to be dealing with this right now. Demos had known what he had been sending him into and yet had told him nothing. 

Kahlan needed him now more than ever. She didn’t have the time to spare while he fought a beast from the Underworld when he needed to be finding that pendant. He was losing what he loved most, his life quickly becoming meaningless without her once more. Death was preferable than being forced to live without her.

If he died here today, then he could greet Kahlan in the Underworld, protect her from Rahl and the Keeper. It wasn’t the future that he had hoped for with her, but it was preferable than trying to make some sort of an existence out of the shambles of his life that would be left after she was gone.

Besides, Caid could bring his dead body back to Demos, proving that he had been killed in the attempt to find the tooth pendant. He would have no reason to slaughter innocent children then.

He clenched his jaw, his muscles taut with mounting frustration and rage. He took a step towards the creature, not sure how he was going to take it out with only a dagger, but he had to try something. He couldn’t just stand here and wait for it to make a move.

Sensing his movement, the beast turned to face the Seeker, its crimson eyes narrowing as it stared at him. Its chest was heaving, its claws almost curling into fists. It was over a foot taller than Richard, its shoulders broad, its arms long.

Keeping his eyes locked on the creature, Richard carefully circled around it, pulling its attention with his movements. The other soldiers remained frozen where they stood, watching in stunned silence as the Seeker kept its focus on him and away from them.

“What are you doing?” Caid hissed under his breath.

“Drawing its attention to me,” Richard murmured, keeping his movements slow and steady.

“Do you have a death-wish?” the Commander snapped. “That thing will tear you to shreds just like it did these priests.”

“I’m keeping it focused on me so your two men can try to take it from behind,” he calmly replied.

Richard felt as if he was in a deadly dance with the Underworld, walking a fine line between life and death as he kept the creature’s attention on him, each sizing up the other’s every move. There was something about this beast, something that tickled the back of his mind. Although he’d never seen it before, there was almost something strangely familiar about it, something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

The only sounds were the occasional snorts from the beast, its clawed feet scraping the stone floor as it moved. The air was almost suffocating with tension as moments slipped by.

Out of the corner of his eye, Richard could see the two soldiers on the other side of the room begin to circle behind the creature, keeping its back to them. They didn’t appear too confident with the Seeker’s plan, but were going along with it nonetheless. They knew they really didn’t have any other options available to them at that moment.

Sensing something was going on, the beast began to turn its head. The two soldiers immediately stopped, fearing it would suddenly turn on them now.

“Hey!” Richard yelled, running towards it, brandishing his dagger and drawing its attention back to him. “Over here!”

The beast turned its focus back to the Seeker, its anger rising as it released another deafening cry that rattled in Richard’s chest. A cold shiver raced through him as realization slammed into him like a pile of bricks, his eyes focusing on the cavernous mouth of the creature from the Underworld.

The tooth pendant that hung around his neck suddenly felt like fire against his skin as Richard suddenly noticed that the beast was missing a tooth on the left bottom side of his mouth.

“No…” he gasped under his breath, his mind spinning with what he was suddenly discovering at that moment. “It…it can’t be…”

“What is it?” Caid asked, confused by the sudden change in the Seeker.

“This can’t be the same creature,” Richard muttered in response, his gaze still locked on the spot where a tooth had once been.

“What are you talking about?” Caid pressed, his forehead furrowed in thought as he too studied the beast, trying to discover what the Seeker was talking about.

“It’s the same creature my father killed years ago,” he growled.

“But how’s that possible?”

“I don’t know,” Richard slightly shook his head as he suddenly noticed a tooth on the other side of the beast’s mouth, one that seemed identical to the tooth hanging around his neck.

It was the tooth that Demos wanted.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 23

They sat facing one another, their legs crossed, their knees almost touching. The dreadful moment had finally come. There was no escaping it now.

“Are you sure about this, Kahlan?”

“We have to try, Zedd,” the Mother Confessor resolutely replied without hesitation, her hands folded in her lap. “I can’t go on like this, waiting…wondering when I’ll close my eyes only to open them and find myself in the Underworld.

“Besides, Richard needs our help. He can’t be worrying about me when he needs to be focused on Demos and finding the Stone of Tears. There are bigger problems than just me. If we can find a way to stop this or at least slow it down, it will buy us more time that we don’t have right now. I have to try for Richard.”

She could hear Cara snorting under her breath from where she silently stood watching. She knew that the Mord’Sith was against trying this when the outcome was so unknown. Kahlan knew she had to try something even if it resulted in her ending up in the Underworld sooner than expected.

She just wanted this to be over with. The constant fear and not knowing was slowly eating away at her sanity. They had to at least try something. She couldn’t stand the thought of hurting Richard again by leaving him like this, but he couldn’t be distracted by trying to save her right now. There were more important things he needed to take care of.

Zedd studied her for a long moment, his grim expression deepening the wrinkles that lined his aged face. Unexpected tears pooled in his eyes as he placed a gentle hand on top of hers. “Kahlan, I don’t want to be the one who finally sends you to the Keeper.”

Seeing the pain swimming in his eyes, Kahlan turned her hands over, taking his between the two of hers. She clutched it affectionately, bringing their joined hands to her lips. She kissed it softly, her eyes falling closed as she fought back her own escalating emotions that were rising like a massive tidal wave threatening to drown her in its wake.

Even though he was Richard’s grandfather, Zedd had quickly become the grandfather she had never had, never known. Being forced to leave him and Cara was almost as painful as being taken away from her Seeker.

“This isn’t your fault,” she softly reassured him, finally opening her eyes to look at him once more. “No matter what happens, it’s not your fault. Please, don’t blame yourself if this doesn’t work. I know that you tried your best.”

“That will be easier said than done I’m afraid,” he sadly sighed.

“Zedd, if this doesn’t work like we had hoped…please…tell…”

Kahlan’s voice suddenly broke off as the tears she’d fought so hard against finally won out. Releasing his hand, she quickly wiped her eyes, averting her gaze. She couldn’t bear the thought of saying goodbye to Richard let alone voicing it out loud.

“I’ll tell him,” he gently promised. “You know he won’t rest until he’s brought you back.”

“I know,” she smiled softly, swallowing back the rest of her tears. “Please don’t let him waste his time trying to save me. He has to get back to stop Demos from hurting anyone. He has to find the Stone of Tears before it’s too late. Make sure he succeeds in his quest.”

“You know that will be impossible for even a Wizard of the First Order to do,” he chuckled lightly trying to lighten the mood, knowing his grandson would never give up on her. “He’s the most stubborn boy…and he loves you so very much, dear one.”

“I love him, Zedd,” she gasped, a sob rising in her throat. “I can’t accept the idea of leaving him, of never seeing the future that he so strongly believes in for us, but it looks like it’s coming no matter what I want…what we want.”

“If there is anyone in this world who could find a way around a Confessor’s magic, it would be him, Kahlan” he told her, confidence filling his voice. “And if there was ever a man who could save the woman he loved from the Keeper, it would be Richard.”

The Mother Confessor could only nod her head, her voice failing her. She knew in her heart that Zedd was right, but it didn’t make the pain of any of this easier, the uncertainties any dimmer. Her life was swiftly slipping from her body and she was powerless to do anything about it.

This was all she had left. She had to try.

“Let’s do this, Zedd,” she finally said as her Confessor’s face slipped back into place. She lifted her chin in determination to not let the Keeper take one more minute of her life away from her.

The old Wizard sighed in reluctant surrender to her wishes, raising his hands before him. “Just relax,” he murmured as he closed his eyes.

“I can’t stand here and watch this,” Cara suddenly huffed in obvious agitation before turning to leave.

Sitting back, Zedd smiled affectionately as he watched the red leather-clad woman disappear into the trees. “That’s just her way of saying that she cares,” he told her.

“I know,” she murmured, a small smirk on her lips. “As angry as she is, she must really care.”

“Alright now,” he started again. “This shouldn’t cause you any pain.”

Kahlan nodded her head as she closed her eyes, hoping against hope that this worked. She tried to focus her thoughts on Richard, on how he needed her and her him. She shoved aside the worries and fears that haunted her, the exhaustion and icy chill that were replacing her soul.

She could feel the soft tingling hum of magic as it flowed from Zedd’s boney fingers into her body. There was a subtle warmth to it that made her feel as though she was softly glowing from the inside out with the gentle touch of his powerful magic. It was a welcomed reprieve from the frostiness that had taken over every fiber of her being.

She felt more alive in this moment than she had in the last several days. She could feel his magic expanding through her as he softly chanted words that she couldn’t begin to make out. A rush of dizziness flooded her, causing her to grasp her knees in an effort to keep herself sitting up.

Her heart began to race, her lips parting slightly in an effort to catch her breath. She forced herself to concentrate on Richard, on his handsome face, his gentle brown eyes, his warm smile. She focused on his love for her, on her love for him that deepened with every beat of her heart and thrummed so exquisitely through her veins. 

Zedd’s bushy eyebrows knitted tightly together into a single white line as he concentrated on his magic, probing deep into Kahlan’s body. He was taken aback by what he found, what little there was left of her soul. He was stunned that she was even conscious at this moment. It was nothing short of sheer will that was keeping her upright.

He was amazed at her strength, the willpower that she possessed. It was beyond anything that he’d ever witnessed before. There was nothing but a faint flickering light where her soul should be, where it was supposed to be glowing so brightly. She could be taken at any moment. 

It was only a matter of time now.

XXX

With a deadly cry as if heading into war, the two soldiers behind the beast rushed towards it, their swords drawn and prepared to take it down. The creature suddenly threw its head back, releasing a rumbling cry of sheer rage. 

It swiftly spun around, one of the soldier’s swords sticking out of its back. It growled in fury, desperate to stop the sudden onslaught. With a swing of its powerful arm, the beast hit one of the soldiers, causing him to crash into a nearby wall with a sickening crack just before he crumpled lifelessly to the floor.

The last remaining soldier stood still as stone, too terrified to move as he stared in wide-eyed horror at the beast looming so large before him. He tightened his grip on his sword, but his hand was slick with sweat.

Richard knew that he had to do something or the man was as dead as his comrade lying broken on the floor. He immediately ran towards the beast, his mind racing with what he had just discovered. This was the same creature that his father had killed, the same monster that guarded the Book of Counted Shadows so many years ago. The reality of it all was difficult to wrap his mind around.

“Over here!” he yelled, drawing its attention back to him despite the fact he had no clue how to stop it.

“No!” Caid suddenly shouted. “This way!”

“What are you doing?” Richard growled, casting a glance at the Commander moving in the opposite direction.

“You can’t kill it alone with that dagger,” Caid yelled back. “I’m not about to let you die in here!”

“I think that’s what Demos had hoped for,” the Seeker bit out, all the pieces finally coming together.

The beast turned from one man to the other, his rage erupting as it turned in small circles. It released a deep rolling bellow that caused the ground to practically tremble. Richard was sure the floor would split open beneath their boots, sucking them all down into the Underworld where the beast had been no doubt sent from.

Richard slowly moved to his left, the creature’s fiery gaze fixed on him. It growled low in its throat as it lunged for the Seeker, bearing its deadly claws and fangs. Richard swiftly ducked beneath its swinging arms, but not before one of its claws sliced his upper arm.

Ignoring the pain that seared through him, he quickly spun around, pulling the sword free from the creature’s back. Armed now with a bigger weapon, he felt a little more capable of handling the perilous situation he now found himself in despite the fact that it wasn’t the Sword of Truth.

It arched its back, snarling in response to being free from the weapon that had been embedded in its back. Greenish black smoke poured from its nostrils, the stench intensifying and nearly making the Seeker gag.

He could feel warm blood running down his arm, but he had no time to worry about it as the creature suddenly spun around for another attack. It swiped at him with its massive claws, causing Richard to continually jump back out of the way to avoid being sliced to shreds.

Breathing hard, he swung his sword while at the same time trying to side-step bones that littered the floor. His mind was a whirlwind of questions that demanded answers that he’d never learn while at the same time trying to figure out a way to kill the beast and get the tooth. It was the only thing standing between him and finding a way to save Kahlan.

Peering past his predator, he could see Caid inching his way closer to it, his gaze locked on his target. To his right, Richard could feel the other soldier’s presence, doing his best to get out of the Seeker’s way.

Sensing Caid’s approach, the beast began to turn back towards the Commander. Deciding this might be his best opening, Richard raced towards it as the same time that Caid’s sword impaled the creature’s side.

Enraged, it cried out in pain, swinging its powerful arms and connecting with the Seeker, sending him flying backwards. He landed hard on his back on the stone floor, knocking the wind from his lungs. Dazed, he fought to gather his senses as the beast turned its full attention on Caid.

Seeing his Commander in trouble, the D’Haran soldier raced towards the beast about to take his fury out on Caid. The soldier threw himself at the beast in an attempt to knock it down, but it barely swayed on its feet as the man stumbled back.

The creature quickly turned, grabbing the man and throwing him across the room like a ragdoll. The man landed with a thud, skidding across the stone floor before abruptly disappearing into the cavernous hole in the center of the room.

Richard quickly jumped to feet, rushing to the edge of the pit and peering over it, hoping for some sign of the soldier, but there was nothing but empty darkness. It was now just he and Caid left to stop this monster and retrieve the tooth.

Warily making his way towards it, he suddenly noticed that despite being stabbed twice, there was no sign of blood. Nothing they did seemed to slow it down. They were going to have to come up with a different way to kill the beast.

He wished Zedd was here. He would know what to do, be able to use his magic on it. He gritted his teeth against the rage that was beginning to seethe inside of him. Time was rapidly fleeting by and he was no closer to getting that tooth.

“We need to get out of here!” Caid yelled at him, trying to keep some distance between him and the beast while at the same time trying to think of a way to stop it.

“We can’t leave now,” Richard snapped. “We need to kill it to get the tooth.”

“It has the tooth?” he exclaimed in shock.

“It’s still in his jaw,” the Seeker informed him.

“Nothing we do is having an effect on it except to enrage it even more.”

“I think I have an idea,” Richard replied.

“We better do it fast because I don’t think we’re going to be able to last much longer,” Caid warned him.

“Just keep its attention on you,” he instructed him. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

Caid frowned at the Seeker’s plan, not sure if he truly trusted him with his life or not. At this point, he didn’t think he had much of a choice. Besides, he had proven himself many times over already since meeting him. Despite his training, he couldn’t help but trust him, to believe in him.

The Seeker had brought him more hope in the last few days than Demos had since taking over the throne of D’Hara two months ago.

Steeling himself, the Commander adjusted his grip on the hilt of his sword, his dark brown eyes narrowing on his prey. Taking a deep breath, he quickly swung his weapon, causing the creature to growl a throaty sound that he could liken to nothing he’d even heard before.

He ducked his head just in time to miss a set of claws arching around to remove his head from his shoulders, evading a deadly snap of its teeth. Its fangs had come dangerously close, too close for his liking. Whatever the Seeker had in mind, he had better do it quick before he became the next one to go down.

The creature looked as if it could start spitting fire at any moment. It seemed to be getting angrier with every moment that passed by, its growing fury giving it even more strength. It intensified the putrid stench that spewed with the smoke from its nostrils. It was all he could do not to vomit as he drew the beast closer.

Raising its claws again, Richard made his move, jumping onto the creature’s back, his dagger fisted in his hand. With a cry of rage, he slammed the blade deep into the top of its thick skull between the two horns protruding from it. He poured all of his pent up fury and frustration, all of the anguish and pain that had been swimming through his veins since the day Kahlan died, since the moment he found her alive only to learn he was losing her all over again. It all went into that dagger. 

The beast released a terrifying roar that echoed throughout the room and made the Commander’s hair stand on end as he watched in wide-eyed shock. He had never anticipated the Seeker doing something like this.

It shook furiously in an attempt to throw Richard off, but he had death-grip on the handle of the dagger, allowing the violent storm of his emotions to flow through him and into the beast. His eyes were full of fury, a sneer of hate fixed on his face. It was almost as if he had his sword instead of a dagger.

It swung its arms, trying desperately to grab hold of the Seeker on its back, but it was all in vain as it suddenly collapsed to the stone floor dead.

Richard leapt off its back, panting heavily and completely drained by the toll of allowing his emotions to thunder through him like that. He leaned over, bracing his hands on his knees as he fought to catch his breath and calm his pounding heart.

His arm burned like fire as blood continued to drip from his fingertips. He felt a sudden rush of relief knowing that he was that much closer to getting the tooth. Now he just had to get it to Demos and find a way to save Kahlan. He wouldn’t rest until she was safe with him.

“Are you alright?” Caid asked as he quickly made his way to the Seeker.

“I’ll be fine,” he replied, straightening up. “We just need to get the tooth.”

“How did you figure out how to kill that thing?”

“My father killed this very same beast years ago,” Richard told him, walking over to the creature and yanking his dagger free from its head. “I suddenly remembered he had told me once how he had killed it.”

“What?” Caid gaped in shock. “How is that even possible?”

“It’s a creature of dark magic,” the Seeker shrugged. “The priests here must have resurrected it somehow, brought here for a reason.”

“Well, I don’t want to find out what that reason was,” Caid replied. “Let’s get that tooth and get out of here.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 24

Walking out of the temple, Richard was stunned to find the sun already setting, the third day nearly over. He only had two more days to get the tooth back to Demos or children would begin to die. He couldn’t let that happen and yet how could he just sit back and allow Kahlan to die?

He felt that tight knot that sat in the pit of his stomach since all of this had started begin to painfully constrict even more. He was in a no-win situation, one that he couldn’t see a good way out of. Every path that he thought through, every direction he attempted to go always led to someone dying because of him.

His head pounded, his heart ached agonizingly in his chest. He just wanted to lie down and sleep, to hold Kahlan close to him and know that she would be there in his arms to wake up with every morning, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen if he didn’t find a way out of this.

He wearily made his way to his horse, his thoughts consumed solely with her now that the tooth was safely tucked away in his pocket. He just wanted to see her, to gaze into her bright blue eyes and to touch her, to breathe her in.

Caid silently followed him, still trying to process everything that had happened inside the temple. The Seeker’s skill and abilities had been amazing to witness, his instincts beyond anything he’d ever seen before. He truly was a rare man.

“I never would have guessed that tooth to have still been inside that creature’s mouth,” Caid finally said, breaking the silence. “I thought all along we were looking for a tooth-like pendant, not an actual tooth belonging to a beast from the Underworld.”

“I have a feeling Demos didn’t want either of us to know what he was sending us into,” Richard scowled at the reminder of his brother. “He led me to believe it was a pendant like the one that hangs around my neck.”

“He didn’t expect you to survive this did he?” he asked.

“No,” he replied. “I think he thought I’d find the tooth, but die while trying to get it.”

“Well, it’ll be a surprise to him when we ride into the People’s Palace with his prize.”

“I have a feeling that there’s not much that surprises him,” the Seeker frowned. He was not in the mood to get to know his new brother, but he had a feeling he was going to have to whether he liked it or not so that he could get to the bottom of what he was truly up to.

He didn’t like the idea of giving him the tooth without knowing why he wanted it or what he was going to use it for. At this point, he really didn’t have a choice. Pulling it out of his pocket, he fingered the tooth, the black runes that marked the large incisor similar to the ones on the pendant that he wore and yet they were different.

Turning it over, he noticed a small triangle with a grace symbol etched in the middle of it. His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what it could possibly mean. He knew a little about grace symbols, but not nearly enough. Hopefully Zedd would be able to figure it out before he had to hand it over to his brother.

All of these years, he had just thought of his tooth pendant as nothing more than something special to remember his father by. Now, it made Richard begin to wonder what magic his pendant might possess and what dangers it could possibly bring.

Slipping the tooth back into his pocket, Richard looked up at the sound of someone approaching. He went for the sword in his scabbard, immediately reminded by the feel of it that it wasn’t his sword. Caid already had his weapon firmly in hand by the time the site of red leather broke through the darkening woods.

Richard abruptly lowered his sword at the site of her. “Cara,” he said. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”

“You know her?” Caid asked, looking from Seeker to Mord’Sith and back again.

“She’s my friend,” he admitted. “Zedd, Cara, and Kahlan followed us here.”

“What?” Caid exclaimed. “The Mother Confessor isn’t dead?”

“She was, but Cara saved her after you and your men took me away. When I went to the lake last night, I learned that she was alive, but now…now she’s dying.”

Dumbfounded, Caid didn’t know what to believe. He had to get the Seeker back to Lord Rahl with the tooth before it was too late regardless of the fact that his new leader was a vile tyrant. He couldn’t allow children to be executed or let the Seeker’s friends interfere.

“What is it, Cara?” Richard asked again, the anxious look on her face causing his worry to spike as he made his way around his horse towards her.

“It’s Kahlan,” she softly said.

XXX

Racing through the woods, he ignored the leafy branches that slapped him in the face or the pull of thorny bushes on his pant legs or the intense burning in his lungs. He barely registered the sound of Cara and Commander Caid trying to keep up with him, but still several paces back. He didn’t even notice the beauty of the setting sun that cast a pastel glow over the surrounding landscape.

All he cared about was getting to Kahlan.

When Cara had told him she was worsening, it had felt as though she had just punched him in the gut, stealing all the air from his lungs. He thought he had a little more time. Spirits, he needed more time.

He couldn’t lose her like this, not after everything they had been through together. Tears burned in his eyes, temporarily blurring his vision before being angrily wiped away as he ducked beneath low branches, leaping over fallen trees that attempted to block him from getting to her in time.

He was out of his mind with the terror that overwhelmed him, his heart racing with the knowledge that he might not make it to her in time or the troublesome fact that he had no idea how to even stop this from happening.

How had the Keeper been able to do this? How had he been able to spell Kahlan’s soul in the short time that she had been dead? Wasn’t he supposed to be powerless in the Underworld?

This didn’t make any sense; nothing made sense to him anymore. The world was quickly being drained of all color, logic nothing more than an obscure notion. Kahlan was what made everything right in his world, who gave meaning to everything that touched his life.

Now…now, he was losing his very reason for existing.

He had been nothing more than a naïve boy when he had met her, not really knowing anything about the world that had existed outside of his Hartland Woods. But she had raced through his woods and straight into his heart, making him whole, complete for the first time in his life.

She had made him want to be a better man, to be what she believed he was capable of being. He wanted to do it for her. Everything that he was, everything that he did was because of her, for her, and now he was losing a piece of himself, a piece of his very own soul. 

How was he supposed to survive something like that?

The soft glow of a campfire suddenly peeked through the trees, a small beacon that was drawing him to her. He ran faster, pushed himself harder. He couldn’t let her die without him being there. No matter how devastating it would be, he would be there for her. He had to be strong for her.

Kahlan had always been there for him no matter the cost, had given everything to always be by his side. She had filled him full with a love so deep, so profound that it left him in total awe of its immensity. It was greater than either of them, constantly growing and knitting them together as one. 

How could a love that great be stopped by anything, be destroyed by her magic? Wasn’t the touch of a Confessor based on the concept of love?

Breaking through the trees, Richard came to an abrupt stop, his eyes falling on his Confessor lying on her bedroll on the other side of the campfire. His chest was heaving as he stared at her, his muscles coiled tight in preparation to defeat an unseen foe. Only this enemy wasn’t one that he could cut down with his sword or even hope to outwit with his perceptive abilities.

He was the Seeker of Truth and there was nothing he could do to save her.

He slowly made his way to the other side of the campfire, his steps tentative, his breathing shallow now as he fought down the anguish that threatened to drop him to his knees. He swallowed hard, his throat a desert as he came to a stop near her.

Kahlan was lying on her bedroll, her green blanket covering her. Her face was a ghostly shade of pale, her lips almost blue. He wasn’t even sure if she was breathing or even alive anymore, but then she suddenly shivered as if reading his mind, wanting to reassure him she was hanging on just for him.

Through watery eyes, he slowly turned to look at Zedd sitting near her, his wrinkled face streaked with tears. A thick lump rose in his throat, making it difficult to breathe as he watched his grandfather slowly shake his head.

“I…I’m sorry…my boy,” he murmured. “I tried…I truly tried. Her soul….there just wasn’t enough there for me to save. I tried ever spell I could think of…”

“No…” Richard gasped, his body beginning to tremble as he slowly made his way to her. He felt like he suddenly walking through a nightmare.

Zedd moved out of the way, allowing his grandson a chance to be with the woman he loved while she was still with them. Walking over to stand with Cara and Commander Caid at the edge of the clearing, he turned his back to the painful scene that was about to play out, unable to bear watching what this would do to Richard.

“Zedd, it’s not your fault,” Cara softly told him, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

“Yes…it is…” he whispered as he disappeared into the trees.

Kneeling down beside her, it was all Richard could do not to grab hold of her, to shake her and order her not to leave him. Anger blazed through him, anguish severing his heart. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

They were supposed to find the Stone of Tears and defeat the Keeper. They were to be married, have daughters and grow old together. This…this wasn’t supposed to happen.

The damn inside of him swiftly crumbled as tears rolled down his cheeks. He’d already been through this once before and it had nearly killed him. Now, he was reliving that nightmare all over again.

Spirits, not again…not her.

With a trembling hand, he reached out and gently brushed a raven lock of hair from her face. She murmured his name, a soft breath escaping her lips. His hand came to rest on her forehead, the icy chill of her skin causing a strangled sob to constrict his throat.

“Kahlan…I’m right here…” he finally managed to get out, his voice cracking with his fragmented emotions that were storming out of control at that moment.

“Richard…” she whispered again, her lips barely moving.

“I’m here, my love,” he gently told her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Leaning over her, he softly kissed her frosty lips, the coldness of her skin sending chills racing through him. He didn’t know how someone could be so cold and still be alive. It didn’t seem possible.

“I love…Richard…” she murmured almost imperceptibly.

Her words caused a sad smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. “I love you too, my sweet Kahlan.”

He just sat there by her side, silently stroking her hair. His eyes never left her as the tears continued to trickle down his cheeks. He knew that Caid and Cara were on the other side of the camp watching him, but he didn’t care. Nothing could take him away from her now.

This wasn’t over. This wasn’t the end. Death was not going to be final chapter in their lives yet. The Keeper was not going to have the last say in this. He was going to do everything in his power to find a way to bring her back, no matter what it took or how long.

Reaching down, Richard pulled his boots off, a small sense of resolve causing a glimmer of hope to take root in the deep cracks and crevices of his fractured heart. He would find a way to bring her back. Demos would have the unfortunate experience of seeing firsthand what the terrifying wrath of the Seeker was like if he didn’t save her for him.

He carefully lifted the blanket, easing in beside her. He gently pulled her, turning her towards him, ignoring the fierce chill that bit at his skin as he wrapped his arms and legs around her. Adjusting the blanket around them, he allowed the heat of his body as well as his love for her to seep into her.

He hoped that his presence, his love for her would somehow reach deep inside of her and mend what was broken, replace what had been taken. He would willingly give himself for her; give her his own soul if it was possible.

Without her, he was like a lonely leaf lost in the wind, wandering aimlessly about with no hope of ever finding its way home again. Kahlan was his home and now she was being taken so viciously away from him, stripping him bare and leaving him all alone.

Holding her close, he could feel the faint brush of her breath against his skin as he cradled her head in the crook of his neck, his fingers lightly stroking her hair. He knew that he was getting her wet with his falling tears, but he couldn’t make them stop.

Overcome with grief, his body began to shake with his sobs. He was exhausted, his world crashing around him all over again. The weight of his anguish was too much to bear, more painful than a hundred agiels pressing into him at one time.

He cried for the beautiful life that was swiftly slipping away from his arms, for the love that he had found and was now losing, for the future they would never have if he couldn’t find a way to save her. He wept for the bed they would never share, the daughters that they would never have together.

He cried because of the all-consuming anguish that had invaded every fiber of his being, wrapping him up and holding him captive in its painful embrace. It was a deep-seated pain that he knew would never diminish until he’d found a way to bring her back to him.

Tilting his head, he kissed the crown of her head, softly murmuring reassurances to her and reminding her how much he loved her. He hoped that she could hear him, that she could sense his presence. He couldn’t stand the thought of her believing she was all alone or that he wasn’t there for her. 

She had been his salvation and he swore he would be that for her too. He would always be there for her. Always.

His hand slipped from her hair to tenderly caress her face. She seemed to relax in his arms, her skin not quite so cold to his touch. It helped to lighten his heart a little knowing that he might be having an effect on her. He didn’t feel quite so helpless knowing that he could bring her some measure of comfort and warmth.

His heart skipped a beat as her arm suddenly slid around his waist, drawing him impossibly closer. She was responding to him. He would lay here forever with her if it meant that she was alive and safe with him. It only managed to bring more tears to his eyes as he tightened his hold on her, his leg hooked securely over hers. 

It was almost impossible to tell where one left off and the other started as he held her firmly against him. Sleep quickly began to claim him despite the turmoil surging through him. He would relish every second he had with her until she was gone, anticipating the moment that he had her back in his arms where she always belonged.

Caid stood silently watching them at the edge of the trees. His throat felt tight as he watched the Seeker holding his dying Confessor. It was a love beyond anything he’d ever witnessed. It made him miss his wife, his children. He felt a sudden loneliness for them creep over him.

“He’s not going to try and escape you know.”

The sound of Cara’s voice cut through his troubled thoughts. “I know,” he sighed. “I don’t like this any better than any of you do, but I have to return to the People’s Palace with the Seeker and the tooth. My family is still there, my parents and sisters. He’ll torture and kill them all if I don’t bring him back.”

“We’re not here to stop you,” she informed him, folding her arms across her chest as she turned to face him. “We’re here to help him, to make sure nothing happens to him. We have to get out of here and find a way to save Kahlan. We have to find the Stone of Tears before it’s too late or nothing in this life that we know is going to matter.”

“I had seriously believed that Demos Rahl would be different,” Caid scoffed at his own foolishness. “I guess I should’ve known that every Rahl is the same.”

“Not that one,” Cara said, nodding at Richard sleeping with Kahlan by the fire. “That is one Rahl who could make a difference, one who could change the entire world for the better.”

“Do you think he’d ever take the throne away from Demos?” he asked, uncertainty filling his voice.

“Maybe not tomorrow, but someday…once the rifts are sealed and the Keeper is defeated,” she replied, hope permeating her words.

“I just pray that day comes soon,” Caid murmured as he turned to fetch their horses.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 25

Richard rode with Kahlan cradled protectively in his lap; her head nestled against his neck. His face was set like stone, detached, concealing the deep cavity of pain that only continued to expand with every breath he drew.

Kahlan had been unresponsive since leaving the Temple at Caspar yesterday morning, her breaths becoming shallower, her skin like touching a frigid icicle. He had hoped the minor improvements in her condition last night when he had held her had been an encouraging sign, that maybe he could help bring her back by being there for her. Unfortunately, that hadn’t been the case.

Holding her to him now, feeling the biting cold touch of death that had crept into her body was like daggers to his heart, but he refused to let her go. In fact, he hadn’t let her go since the night before last except long enough for Zedd or Caid to hand her back over to him so he could carry her with him on his horse has they made their way back to the People’s Palace and his brother who awaited his arrival. 

He gazed overhead to the thick green canopy of leaves, splashes of dappled sunlight periodically breaking through and falling across them. He wondered what could possibly be worse – watching her die so brutally, so suddenly right before his eyes or this long, drawn out agony that was slowly stealing her life along with his.

His vision suddenly blurred just like it had so many times before over the last couple of days, his expressionless face abruptly cracking and allowing the overwhelming bitterness and grief that flowed like hot lava through his veins to appear once more. He felt as though his own life was being choked out of him. Every breath he drew was just a horrifying reminder that Kahlan soon wouldn’t be, that he’d be alive and she’d be gone.

The only hope that he had left was resting safely in his pocket, waiting for Demos Rahl. It was his bargaining chip, the only leverage that he had to force his brother into saving Kahlan. Of course, he had his sword back now in his scabbard where it belonged, but what good would that be against Demos’s powerful magic?

His brother could twist just about anything with his magic, turning it into a weapon against him. Demos could stop him dead in his tracks before he could even reach him if he so chose to.

Richard swallowed past a thick lump in his throat, leaning down to brush his lips softly against her forehead like he had done so many times over the last couple of days. The most important thing in the whole world to him was right here in his arms. How could he possibly begin to live without her for even a moment?

Even when he had believed that she was dead there was always that dim flicker of hope in the back of his mind that maybe, just maybe, Cara had gotten to Kahlan in time, had been able to save her life. It had kept him moving, kept him pressing forward.

But now, his hope laid in the hands of a wicked brother he neither trusted nor wanted in his life.

Sensing someone close, he turned to see Zedd pulling his horse up beside him. Guilt still filled the old Wizard’s eyes despite Richard’s insistence that this wasn’t his fault, but it had fallen on deaf ears. He was blaming himself for this.

“I can take her for a while if you want,” he softly offered, his gaze focused on the Mother Confessor, how she was barely breathing now.

“I’m fine,” Richard replied with a clipped tone, turning his focus straight ahead of him.

He knew that Zedd was just trying to help, to ease some of his grief, but he’d gladly carry it for her. Even though his body ached, he refused to give her up. The faint erratic whisper of her breath against his chest told him she was still alive, still with him for the moment. He couldn’t let that small bit of comfort go, couldn’t let her go.

He knew that Zedd wasn’t to blame. He was just furious with the whole situation, the helplessness that he felt. Cara had told him how Kahlan had insisted that Zedd try something because she wanted to be able to be there for him, to help him. She didn’t want Richard to have to worry about her anymore. 

Kahlan had been willing to try anything at that point, no matter the consequences because she loved him that much.

Looking down, he gently pulled back the lock of hair that had fallen over her face, tenderly hooking it behind her ear. He was still amazed that someone of her standing, of her great authority and importance would even give him the time of day let alone allow her heart to fall so in love with him. He was nothing compared to her.

“We’re going to stop and take a break for lunch soon,” Zedd suddenly announced. “We should reach the People’s Palace late this afternoon. Plenty of time to keep any children from senselessly losing their lives.”

Richard could only nod his head in response, his ability to make his voice work suddenly gone. Everyone had done their best to keep their distance from him, knowing that he didn’t want to talk or have company right now. He only wanted to be with her…always, only her.

Zedd sighed heavily, unable to bear the horrible armor of anguish and fury that his grandson now wore especially knowing that he’d helped perpetuate it. He might as well have personally handed the poor girl over to the Keeper himself.

He pulled up on his horse, allowing Richard to go on ahead alone again. Falling back to ride with Cara and Commander Caid, the old Wizard wearily rubbed his eyes in an effort to keep the tears at bay.

“Zedd…” Cara carefully began, seeing his sorrow and trying to think of a way to convince him that this wasn’t his fault.

“She’s not going to make it to the People’s Palace,” he grimly informed them.

“There’s nothing else you can do?” Caid asked.

“I’ve tried everything I can think of,” Zedd shook his head. “When the spell I had hoped would help didn’t work, I decided to try everything I could think of. Nothing seemed to touch it.

“It’s like when the Keeper spelled her soul, he also put a protective field around it, keeping anyone from trying to remove it.”

“Maybe the only way to save her is to just let her die,” Cara suggested, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.

“I’m afraid that you may be right,” Zedd sadly replied, realization dawning on him. “Maybe once she enters the Underworld, the spell will finally be fulfilled and the link will be broken. It may be our only hope of saving her.”

“Then we just have to figure out a way to bring her back from the dead,” Caid said.

Cara cast a sidelong glance at the Commander riding beside her, still somewhat stunned at his sudden change of heart. She never thought she’d see the day when a Commander in the D’Haran army would chose to side with the Seeker and Mother Confessor or fight to save their lives.

**********

Richard adjusted the green blanket that he’d wrapped around her shoulders, hoping it would provide her some warmth, but unfortunately it didn’t seem to be helping at all. In fact, nothing he did seemed to help. He could no longer feel the faint pulse of her breath against his skin.

He had truly lost her now.

He felt the familiar heat of his rage flaming back to the surface, a tremble of fury rippling through him like a violent earthquake. If she hadn’t tried to protect him, she wouldn’t be dying in his arms right now, leaving him to go on in life alone. How could she leave him like this? How could she do this to him?

Hot bitter tears began to roll down his face and dripped from his chin, disappearing into her hair. He was furious at everyone and everything, angry with her for leaving him, angry at himself for not being able to stop this.

Tilting his head, he buried his face in her hair, a strangled sob escaping. He squeezed his eyes shut against the intensifying pain that was surging through him, knowing that she was gone. He tightened his hold on her, desperate for her to open her eyes and look at him again, to smile the smile she gave to no other but him. 

He longed to hear her lilting laughter, the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled at him. He wanted to feel her lips so soft against his, the love he felt every time she touched him.

“Please…Kahlan…don’t leave me…please…” he softly sobbed. “I can’t lose you, Kahlan.”

He just wanted to lie down and die right along with her, to close his eyes and never open them again. He felt so cold and empty without her in his life, so incomplete and alone. No one knew him like she did, not even his own grandfather. How could someone survive when half of you had died?

“I love you…Kahlan…” he wept into her hair. “You are my world. I won’t give up until I’ve brought you back to me.”

**********

Riding behind him, Zedd, Cara, and Caid all knew that Kahlan was gone by the way that Richard held her, his body shaking with his grief. Zedd couldn’t keep his own tears back any longer, allowing them to silently fall.

Cara ground her teeth in rage, her fists twisting the reins of her horse as she fought back her heated emotions. They didn’t deserve this; Kahlan didn’t deserve this end. They had a future together and now it was gone.

Commander Caid lowered his head, his heart so very heavy. The Seeker and Mother Confessor had been his enemies. That fact had been drilled into his head over and over again, but now he understood they were the true salvation of them all. They were the only ones who could save the world from the Keeper.

But they’d have to save the Mother Confessor first in order for that to happen.

XXX

Kahlan opened her eyes to find herself in the center of utter chaos, the strangled moans of suffering filling her ears. The last thing that she remembered was Richard lying beside her and holding her close against him just like she had craved for him to do for so very long.

It had felt wonderful except for his tears. It had hurt her deeply that he was crying because of her. She remembered she had wanted so badly to take away his pain, to erase his sorrow, but she couldn’t make her body work the way that she had wanted.

Just whispering his name had been difficult, sliding her arm around his waist taking everything that she had. But she had successfully done it, had been able to respond to him in a small simple gesture of love. And it had been her last.

There were also briefer, hazier flickers of memories – Richard cradling her in his lap on his horse, his fingers continuously stroking her hair or the feel of his hand lightly caressing her face. His words of love and promises to save her still echoed in her ears giving her hope of seeing him again, but she knew that she couldn’t allow herself to cling solely to that.

Some things in this life were just beyond the realm of possibility. It wasn’t his fault if he couldn’t save her, but still…if anyone could do it, it would be Richard.

Looking about her, Kahlan warily got to her feet, her nakedness suddenly unnerving her. She knew the Keeper and Darken Rahl were probably watching her, leering at her. She fought against the overwhelming urge to cover herself with her hands. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction.

She fisted her hands tightly at her sides, her jaw clenched in defiance. She would endure this for as long as necessary, wouldn’t allow the Keeper or Rahl to steal her hope of seeing Richard again someday. At the same, she knew she was also going to have to find a way to survive if he couldn’t.

“I know you’re there so show yourself!” she yelled into the air, waiting and watching.

Each beat of her heart seemed to thump harder in her chest with every moment that slipped silently by, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hand as she waited. Her chin was lifted in pride, her authority as the Mother Confessor practically making the air around crackle with her power.

Unfortunately, she could no longer feel her magic, had no power to call upon, nothing she could use to defend herself against whatever they had planned for her. And she knew they had plans for her, dark horrifying things that she couldn’t begin to imagine.

Ignoring the shiver of dread that spike through her, Kahlan continued to search the eerie green landscape. “I know you’re there watching me,” she tried again. “Now, show yourself!”

Again, she was met with nothing but the undulating moans of misery and agony that surrounded her. It was unsettling to listen to, the never-ending torment that echoed in her ears. Waves of loneliness washed over her like tidal waves crashing on the shore, threatening to pull her out to sea to drown in her sorrow.

She missed Richard so desperately that it felt as though she might collapse, never to get up ever again. The only thing keeping her upright was the fact that he was safe in the world of the living with Zedd and Cara. They would protect him, watch out for him.

She swallowed back the painful cry that stuck in her throat, knowing that she would never be there for him ever again. Their future together had forever been erased.

The dreams that she had dreamt for over a year and half were now nothing more than that – just dreams. She would never be his wife, his lover, the mother of his daughters. She would never know the feel of his touch, the hunger of his kisses, the sweet rapture of making love with him someday.

She would never see his eyes in their daughter, his smile on their little girl’s lips or his wonder and curiosity with life. She would never again hear his words of love, his beautiful laughter or the way his eyes danced with amusement when he teased her.

But he was alive and that was all that mattered now.

She would survive down here because of that knowledge. Richard would have to find the Stone of Tears without her, find a way to defeat the Keeper despite the prophecy about her beating heart. There had to still be a way. Maybe there was something she could do down here, something that would still help him. She’d do whatever she had to do to help him now.

“Well, if it isn’t the Mother Confessor herself…Kahlan Amnell.”

The sound of the familiar mocking voice struck fear to her core, but she refused to allow him the pleasure of seeing it. She steeled her emotions, her Confessor’s face firmly in place despite the fact she no longer was one.

“Show yourself!” she dared him, her blue eyes flashing with deadly intent although she was completely powerless here.

“So eager to see me?” Darken Rahl drawled in amusement. “I thought that you’d want to avoid me for as long as possible…though that is a ridiculous notion down here. There is no place to hide from me in the Underworld.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” she bit out through clenched teeth.

“Oh but you should be, my dear Kahlan,” he replied with a sudden nearness, a sudden gentleness that surprised her.

She felt unexpected fingers lightly stroking along her spine, causing her to involuntarily shiver. She froze, not attempting to pull away as his touch lingered near her bottom before trailing back up to her shoulder.

She bit the inside of her mouth, fighting back the urge to run. There was no place to run, no where she could go, nothing that she could possibly do to escape. She was trapped here for all eternity unless Richard was able to find a miracle that would save her from this hellish nightmare.

Darken’s fingers delicately danced along her flesh, creating a trail of gooseflesh down her arm in its wake. There was nothing erotic about it. In fact, it made her want to scrub her flesh raw to remove his vile touch from her body.

Kahlan closed her eyes, doing her best to remain calm. She focused her thoughts on Richard, centered her mind on the fact that he was safe. If Darken Rahl and the Keeper were preoccupied with her, then they wouldn’t be looking for ways to destroy him.

“So very beautiful…” he whispered, his mouth suddenly against her ear. “So exquisite.”

She opened her eyes, turning her head to glare at him. “What do you want?”

Darken smiled something sinful, his eyes growing dark with hunger. She could almost see the lust-filled thoughts that he was thinking, practically watching it play out in his mind. It caused bile to rise in her throat. 

She had never been with a man before. The only man who had ever touched her had been Richard and even that night was one she couldn’t remember, couldn’t relive in her mind whenever she wished, to remember and treasure. Only he remembered that night she’d been torn in two and that hadn’t even really been her.

“What I want most is to be released from this place your precious Seeker sent me to,” he scowled, grabbing her by the back of her neck and holding her close. “But since that isn’t possible, I’ll take you instead.”

“So I’m a conciliation prize?” she replied, trying to ignore his painful grasp on her neck.

“You are the most prized treasure of all, my dear,” he smirked. “And I’m going to make sure that you enjoy…” he suddenly paused, wrenching her neck to the side so he could kiss her. “Each and every moment of it.”

Kahlan remained frozen as he kissed her hard, his other hand groping her breast. She forced her thoughts to Richard, focused on his face, his handsome face as she fought back rising fear. She could endure anything for him.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 26

Richard rode into the People’s Palace as the sun was setting low in the sky, Kahlan’s lifeless body still cradled in his lap just as she had been for the last two days. His expression was one of quiet blinding rage and grief beyond imagine. She had died in his arms hours ago, but he had still been unable to let go of her. He had stopped long enough to allow Zedd to cast a stasis spell, preserving her body until they could save her, but that was all.

His heart felt like sharp jagged pieces in his chest, drawing pain with every intake of air. He didn’t think he’d ever be free from this anguish, the pain of loss that had invaded every fiber of his being. It felt as though someone had reached inside of him, ripping his life right out. He felt so very empty inside, so alone despite the fact that Cara, Zedd, and Caid were following behind him.

People quickly stepped back out of his way allowing him to pass. They stopped to stare at him and the woman he held in his arms. They knew by the look on his face that the woman had died, but many did not know who she was. Some of those who did recognize her bowed their heads in respect for the dead Mother Confessor while others let out a cheer.

The scattered cheers inflamed the Seeker’s rage even more. It took every last ounce of strength he had left not to grab his sword and cut every last one of them down, to release the torment that ravaged him nearly to the point of madness.

He was almost at the edge of not caring who lived or died any more, if the Keeper won or not. All that he cared about was dead. What else could possibly matter to him now? 

He ground his teeth, clenching his jaw, his nostrils flaring with every exerted rise and fall of his chest. Revenge was the only thought in his mind. Once Kahlan was safe from the Underworld, he would make sure that Demos paid dearly for all of the heartache that he had caused them. Seeing his brother’s blood on the blade of his sword wouldn’t come close to healing the pain he’d caused, but his rage demanded it nonetheless.

Approaching the Palace, Richard noticed his brother standing tall and proud on the steps leading up to the main entrance. He was flanked by several D’Haran soldiers as well as a young boy. He knew it was the child Demos intended to kill if he hadn’t returned in time. His brother wanted him to have a face to go with the threat.

Pulling his horse to a stop, he waited until Zedd came to take Kahlan from him. He quickly dismounted, taking her back into his arms. He leaned in brushing his lips to her head as if she were still alive, could respond to his tender kiss.

“Soon, my love,” he whispered to her, his dark raptor gaze focused on Demos.

Cara, Zedd, and Caid came to stand behind him, a gasp escaping from the Commander’s lips. “Collin?” he yelled. “Why do you have Collin here? Where is the rest of my family?”

“They are all safe at home. Collin here was just a little insurance in case you and the Seeker didn’t come through for me,” Demos smiled politely at them as his hand came to rest on the little boy’s shoulder. His amused gaze came to rest on the woman in his brother’s arms. “I must admit I didn’t expect you back so soon or that you would have the deceased Mother Confessor with you.”

Richard took a threatening step towards him, the pleased look on Demos’s face as he stared at Kahlan making his blood turn to liquid fire in his veins. He could feel Caid moving forward with him, no doubt anxious to get his young son out of harm’s way.

“You didn’t expect me back at all,” Richard replied with a sneer. “Let the boy go. I have what you want.”

Demos’s smile spread from ear to ear, his eyes glistening. “Give it to me,” he practically purred with delight.

“Save Kahlan first and then I will give you what you want,” Richard hissed, his enraged gaze boring a hole straight through his brother.

Demos slowly began to descend the rest of the steps as he came to a stop before the Seeker, his hands clasped behind his back. Cara quickly went for her agiels as she and Zedd moved to stand on either side of Richard. They knew that there was a very real possibility they would all be meeting Kahlan in the Underworld if this didn’t go well.

Richard’s body was tense, his muscles taut as Demos’s eyes fell to Kahlan once more. He stared at her for a long moment before reaching out to touch her. He lightly ran his finger along the delicate contour of her face.

“Save her…now,” Richard growled, his chest constricting with his barely contained fury. He didn’t want this man near Kahlan, but he had no choice. He needed his help to save her.

“So very…very beautiful,” Demos murmured in wonder under his breath as he studied her. “I’d heard rumors, but…”

His thoughts quickly began to take him places he didn’t have time to go, places that he had just been with Laira the last couple of nights. Laira had been very beautiful, but Kahlan Amnell was beyond exquisite, far superior to any woman he had ever seen.

He knew about the Confessors, how they took mates not husbands because of their powerful magic. He had also heard that Kahlan Amnell’s magic was the most powerful in thousands of years. If she hadn’t taken a mate yet, then she was likely still untouched. The thought caused arousal to seethe hotly in his core.

“So she never took a mate before she died?”

Richard suddenly trembled with the wraith that pounded through him, realizing where his brother’s thoughts had gone. He hated the way that Demos looked at her, the dark ugly lust that filled his eyes. He quickly turned her away from his touch, momentarily blocking his scrutinizing gaze.

“No, she belongs with me,” he sneered.

“But you never found a way around her magic,” he replied. It was more of a statement than an actual question. He could see the painful answer swimming in his brother’s eyes. “I’m sure I could tame her magic.”

“I will find a way,” he snapped.

“Very interesting indeed,” Demos murmured to himself. “You have the tooth I wanted?”

“I have it, but you won’t get it until Kahlan is safe again,” he informed him.

“You realize I could just take it from you,” Demos told him, cocking a dark eyebrow.

“But you won’t,” Richard said. “You see I found your beast from the Underworld and I killed it.”

Demos’s dark eyes gleamed with sudden excitement. “So you did find my tooth.”

It was Richard’s turn to smile, to turn the tables on his brother. “I have…several teeth. I have one in my pocket. Zedd and Cara each have one too. I also have two more that I have hidden some place you will never find if you kill us.

“You let the boy go and bring Kahlan back from the Underworld. Only then will I make sure that you get the right tooth that you want.”

Demos appraised him for a long moment, weighing his options. “And how do you know which tooth is the one that I want?” he frowned. “You don’t even know what I want it for or what it can do.”

“You forget,” Richard smirked. “I’m the one who killed the beast. I’ve seen its teeth. I know which one you want, the way one of them stood out in comparison to all the others.”

The Lord Rahl pinched his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger as he contemplated his words, his gaze falling to the dead Confessor in the Seeker’s arms. Her beauty dazzled him, awakening that hungry need within him that craved taking something new, clean. There was something about a woman who had never been touched, who had never tasted the pleasures of being with a man.

So ripe, so ready to be picked…the beautiful forbidden fruit.

Richard didn’t like the sudden change in his brother’s brooding expression. Something was brewing inside that devious head of his and it couldn’t be good.

“Well played, my brother,” Demos grinned. “Well played, indeed, but there is one thing that you don’t know.”

“And what is that?”

“The tooth is the key to saving your Kahlan,” Demos revealed. “It’s magic is the connection to life.”

Richard felt as though he’d just been punched in the gut, his own tooth pendant suddenly feeling so very heavy around his neck. He already knew without question that he would do whatever it took; go to any lengths to make that a reality. Nothing would stand in his way of getting her back.

“Give him the tooth, Cara,” he finally ordered, his face revealing nothing as he stared at his brother.

“But we can’t…” she started, casting a glance at the Seeker, her agiels fisted tightly in her hands. She had secretly been hoping for a fight.

“Just do it, Cara,” he snapped.

With a scowl on her lips, she slipped two fingers into her pocket, retrieving the tooth. Walking up to Demos, she held up the prize before his face. “You better save her,” she sneered with deadly intent, her green eyes flashing.

Demos’s eyes widened as he stared at the tooth, ignoring her threatening words. He tentatively took it from the Mord’Sith, his thoughts swirling with the possibilities that he now had in his hand. If they only knew what they had just done by so readily handing the tooth over to him like this. Richard had allowed his love for his Confessor to blind him.

Now that he had the tooth he needed, his brother had just sealed Kahlan’s fate.

“Now, save Kahlan,” he hissed, his voice like venom. “Or you will know firsthand what it feels like to be sliced to shreds by the Sword of Truth.”

“No need for threats, my brother,” he tisked with dismay.

“I am not your brother!” he growled.

Ignoring his words, Demos smiled in delight. “Let’s go inside and I’ll see what I can do about saving your Confessor.”

“We are not going anywhere with you,” Richard told him. “You have the tooth you say you need to save her. Do it here…now.”

“I need a grace,” Demos shook his head.

“Draw one here…with my blood,” he insisted as he shifted his hold on Kahlan, stretching out his arm.

Demos didn’t like this one bit, but he had what he needed now. His brother was about to learn what the tooth could really do. He reached for the knife in his belt, taking a step closer to the Seeker.

“You must truly love her,” Demos murmured, awed by the extent of his brother’s love for the Mother Confessor. She must be a very special woman that he would go to such lengths just to save her.

“You can’t even begin to imagine,” Richard heatedly replied, staring straight into his eyes as his brother ran his blade over his forearm.

Warm blood began to drip from his arm, collecting in the dirt. Demos took his arm, directing the dripping blood where he wanted it as he carefully drew a grace symbol in the dirt. Finally finished, he released his hold on the Seeker’s arm.

“There,” he muttered. “You and the Mother Confessor need to be in the middle of the grace.”

Caid, Cara, and Zedd came to stand on the outside of the grace, prepared to fight their way out of this if it came to that. Caid cast a glance at his son Collin standing on the bottom step with the soldiers. He looked alright, only a little frightened. He couldn’t imagine the terror his wife was going through at that moment.

Kneeling down, Richard carefully laid Kahlan in the middle of the grace, supporting her upper body in his arms as his brother worked. Demos held the tooth above her, his eyes closed as he chanted some spell that he couldn’t begin to understand. The words poured from his lips, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. Whatever spell he was using had better be the one needed to save his Confessor or he was going to find his head removed from his shoulders.

He could feel the familiar tingle of magic radiating through her body, making her almost feel alive in his arms once more. It caused him to have faith that this might actually work, that his brother might actually bring Kahlan back to him. The smirk on Demos’s lips caused him to think otherwise.

“Fight, Kahlan,” he whispered. “Come back to me.”

XXX

Her muscles ached from the tension that seized her body. She stood frozen for what felt like an eternity as Darken Rahl kissed her, his hands touching her skin and making it crawl. She wasn’t going to react to him, wasn’t about to give him the pleasure of knowing that he was making her so sick inside with what he was doing to her.

Kahlan tried to make her mind take her to another place, another time as he touched her. She wanted nothing more than to scream, to shove him away from her, to slit his throat for what he was doing to her, but she couldn’t. They were both dead and there was nothing she could do. He was the Keeper’s right hand down here, fully in control of everything that was about to happen to her.

She was completely at his mercy for all eternity. This nightmare was one that was going to replay over and over again without end.

She fought back a sob as he groped her breasts again. She was supposed to be experiencing this with Richard, not with his vile brother. She didn’t want her first time to be with Darken Rahl, filled with nothing but fear and pain. She had so wanted it to be Richard that she gave her virtue to, the one that she gave her heart and body to.

Now, Darken Rahl was stealing it, taking what was not his to take and there was nothing that she could do about it. She had hardly been here for very long and already she was experiencing what she had feared most.

Suddenly, as if reading her thoughts, he paused, pulling back to look into her eyes. She stared at him with a cold, detached expression on her face, not moving, not speaking. She wanted to wipe her mouth, to wash his filthy fingerprints off of her.

A frown slowly took over as he watched her face, searching for the smallest hint of fear. “This is only the beginning of what I have in store for you, dear Kahlan,” he told her with a sudden smirk. “Your horror has only just begun.”

“Is that the best you can do?” she spat out. “Because it wasn’t very good.”

Rage erupted in his eyes as he stared at her, his hands curling into fists. He would make her know what it was like to feel real pain, to be terrified of his presence. He would show her in more ways than one. In the meantime, she would pay for her insolence, her interference in his life.

Kahlan stared defiantly at him, knowing he was about to erupt. His fist swiftly connected with her jaw sending her sprawling to the ground. He quickly moved to stand over her, his chest heaving as he stared down at her.

“You will soon learn respect,” he roared at her, kicking her in the side. “And you will learn it the hard the way.”

Before she could respond, he grabbed her by the hair, yanking her to her feet. Her hands immediately went to her hair trying to keep him from pulling it out at the roots. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fully form.

He continued to hit her, throwing her to the ground just to kick her before jerking her back up to her feet. She gagged as he smashed his lips against hers, his tongue suddenly in her mouth. She bit down hard, causing him to jerk back, his hand covering his mouth.

“I’m going to teach you a lesson that you’ll never forget,” he sneered as he moved towards her again.

XXX

It felt like an eternity as Richard studied Kahlan’s pale face, silently praying for any sign that the spell was working. Demos continued to chant, holding the tooth over her lifeless body.

“Come on, Kahlan, fight,” he murmured. “Don’t leave me.”

It felt as though his heart was about to pound right out of his chest as he waited, each moment seeming longer than the last. It shouldn’t be taking this long. Why was this taking so long? He felt as though he was teetering on the edge of some horrifying abyss, waiting to be pulled back or finally shoved in.

He studied her closed eyes, searching for the faintest fluttering of her eyelashes; watched her mouth for the slightest upturn of her lips. He risked a glance up at Demos whose eyes were now closed as he continued to chant, perspiration beginning to form on his brow, his smirk still firmly in place. It made his skin crawl. Had he guessed wrong?

And then Demos suddenly stopped, his eyes opening as he took a step back. “Give her the breath of life,” he instructed Cara.

Cara looked at him, uncertainty clouding her green eyes. She looked to the Seeker next, the look of pain in his eyes like an agiel to her heart. She knew she had to try.

Stepping into the grace, she held back her blonde hair as she leaned over Kahlan, parting her lips to allow the breath of life to pass. Richard watched as the white vapor passed from Cara’s lips to Kahlan’s ashen ones. The Mord’Sith took a step back, her gaze focused on the Mother Confessor as they all waited to see what would happen next.

A second slipped by…and then another with no response. Richard could feel the tears beginning to rise in his throat once more, his rage intensifying. He tightened his hold on her, pulling her more fully into his lap.

“Please, Kahlan…” he whispered as he brushed a kiss to her forehead before finding her lips. “Dear spirits, take me instead. Trade my life for hers…please…”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 27

Kahlan tried to pick herself up off the ground, but it hurt too much to move. A blinding flash of light suddenly erupted from Rahl’s outstretched fingers, encasing her in excruciating pain. She couldn’t hold back the scream that was suddenly torn from her lungs or the way her body trembled violently.

She forced herself up on all fours in a futile attempt to crawl away from him, but she couldn’t move. The pain that enveloped her felt as if it had taken control of every muscle, every ligament. Her nerve endings were on fire, her every breath like swallowing liquid flames.

It felt as though she were being burned alive as she clawed at the dirt, tears streaming down her face. She knew that there was no escaping him, no hope for rescue.

“I can do this all day long, Kahlan,” Darken Rahl informed her. “It’s your choice. Tell me to stop and I will. Beg me to kiss you, touch you.”

“Never,” Kahlan gasped.

“Have it your way then,” he spat out in rage. “I’ll make it so you will never be able to beg for me to stop.”

Kahlan cried out as the pain ripped through her body, her throat feeling like hot razor blades. Thoughts of Richard flooded her mind, loneliness invading her heart. She was so relieved that he wasn’t here, that he was safe in the world of the living with Cara and Zedd to protect him. She would happily endure this for him, take whatever punishment Darken Rahl wanted to hand out. She was keeping his attention on her and away from her Seeker. That was all that mattered.

For him, she would do anything.

_“Come back to me, Kahlan…”_

His voice suddenly drifted through her mind, taking her by surprise. It was almost as if she could feel his presence there with her. She squeezed her eyes closed against the pain Rahl was pouring into her, focusing with all of her strength on Richard’s voice, on the sudden presence that she swore she had felt.

She didn’t want to lose her hold on it, give up what little bit of him that she had left. She tried seizing hold of it, clinging to it with all she had. Utter loneliness and desolation filled her heart, knowing she would never see his handsome face again, knowing that all she would ever have of him now was in her mind.

_“Take me…my life for hers…”_

Her arms and legs finally gave out on her just as a bright light split through the bleak darkness that enveloped her mind. It almost felt like Richard was there with her, calling out to her in an effort to bring her back to him. Was it really Richard trying to rescue her or just her mind playing a cruel trick on her?

In her mind’s eye, Kahlan reached out towards that bright glowing ball of light, wanting so desperately to open her eyes and find herself in Richard’s arms again. It was the only place that she ever wanted to be.

XXX

Richard kissed her icy lips, anxious for her to answer his desperate pleas. He could feel tears begin to escape the corners of his eyes the longer he kissed her without any response from her. Panic tore through him like nothing he’d ever experienced before.

Kahlan wasn’t coming back to him. She was dead and he’d never get to hold her again, kiss her or love her like he had longed to do, would never see his dreams of a life with her become a reality. He had truly lost her forever.

He had been so very wrong. He had been foolish for thinking for even one moment that Demos would truly bring Kahlan back to him. He had gambled with her life and lost greatly…more than he could begin to fathom or accept.

Just as he was about to break the kiss, he felt Kahlan’s lips begin to move ever so subtly. Overjoyed, he kissed her harder, deeper as he pulled her firmly against him. He began to feel warmth returning to her body as he held her, tears still trickling down his face.

Kahlan’s eyes suddenly flew open with a gasp causing Richard to pull back out of the kiss. Overwhelming relief rushed though him like a mighty flood as he found himself staring into the beautiful blue eyes that he loved. His heart stuttered at the site of her alive, so afraid to move for fear it was just his imagination attempting to deceive him.

“Richard?” she whispered in confusion as she looked about her.

“Kahlan,” he softly gasped, crushing her to him. “Spirits…don’t ever do this to me again.”

Holding her to him, Richard glanced up at his brother standing behind Kahlan, finding great satisfaction in the shocked look that adorned his face. Demos hadn’t expected this outcome, hadn’t anticipated actually bringing Kahlan back from the Underworld. He had been expecting something else altogether different.

Releasing his hold on her, Richard slowly got to his feet before carefully helping Kahlan up as well. He kept a firm hold on her arm as he gently pulled her back behind him and away from Demos. Zedd immediately wrapped a steadying arm around her, Cara swiftly moving to stand on her other side.

Richard’s hand fell to the hilt of his sword, prepared to fight their way out of here. He just got Kahlan back for a second time. He was not about to give her up again.

“You didn’t expect for it to work,” Richard stated with a confident gleam in his eye.

“But…she…it shouldn’t have worked like that,” Demos angrily sputtered, his lips twisting into an enraged sneer as he stared at the Mother Confessor standing behind his brother.

“It’s called the Wizard’s First rule,” the Seeker explained. “People can be made to believe any lie because they want to believe it's true.

“I wanted to believe that you were truly willing to save Kahlan’s life. I wanted her back so much that I was willing to do anything, give up everything just to save her, even going so far as giving an evil tyrant like you the tooth that you wanted. Then, I remembered the rule.

“That’s why I had Cara give you my tooth to bring Kahlan back from the Underworld instead of the one you wanted.”

“How did you know what the tooth would even do?” Demos hissed.

“I didn’t at first, but I knew that your tooth had to be some sort of link to dark magic or death. That could only mean that mine was the key to life. When you revealed the fact that you needed the tooth in order to bring Kahlan back because it was the connection to life, I suddenly knew you needed my tooth, not yours.”

Demos stared at him for a long moment, heated rage rolling off of him in waves. His brother shouldn’t have been able to figure that out, should never have been able to know the difference between the two. He had misjudged him. He wouldn’t the next time.

“Very good,” Demos finally bit out, tossing the Seeker’s tooth back to him. “Now where is my tooth?”

Richard caught the tooth in midair, slipping it safely into his pocket. “Someplace you’ll never find it.”

Demos smiled something utterly wicked at the sudden standoff that had just developed right before his eyes, his brother so ready to draw his sword and slash him to pieces, his friends behind him ready to protect him with their lives.

If they only knew what he was fully capable of, they would be on their knees begging for mercy instead of so eager to be slaughtered. This was a fight that they could never hope to win.

“I saved your precious Kahlan for you. Don’t you think I deserve a prize for my efforts?” he asked, his fingers itching to release the magic that was pounded through his veins.

“No,” Richard coldly replied. “I believe you were planning something much worse than the Underworld for Kahlan. Now, we’re all going to leave here…including Caid and his family.”

“You are all more than free to leave even the Commander and his family,” Demos shrugged indifferently before pointing a finger. “All except for her.”

Richard turned to find that he was pointing past him and directly at Kahlan. Fury exploded inside of him like hundreds of fireworks being set off at once as he swiftly drew his sword. The familiar ring of the sword’s release from its scabbard filled the air, deadly intent flashing in the Seeker’s eyes.

“You’re truly mad if you believe that I’m going to leave her here with you,” Richard growled.

“I think not,” Demos frowned. “She is very beautiful…so pure, untouched. She’d make a good queen, don’t you think?”

“I’m not staying with you,” Kahlan rasped, trying to make her voice work as she held on tight to Zedd in order to stay upright. “I’d rather return to the Underworld.”

She felt so weak, so beaten and bruised. She didn’t know how she was going to be able to help her friends in a fight. She barely had enough strength to walk let alone confess someone.

Lord Rahl smirked, the Mother Confessor’s fiery retort exciting him. He loved it when his prey had such spirit, when they fought back. It made it that much more thrilling when he finally broke them, forcefully dominating them and watching them tremble beneath him as he took what he wanted.

He stared at Kahlan, his thoughts darkening as his tongue slipped out to slowly slide along his lower lip. With a low growl, Richard took a threatening step closer, his sword pointed directly at the Lord Rahl. They were in a deadly stand-off, one that he knew his brother could easily win, but this time Richard had his friends with him.

“You either stay with me, Kahlan, or I will destroy your Seeker,” Demos threatened her, stretching out his hand towards Richard. “It’s your choice.”

“No,” Kahlan whispered, breaking free from Zedd to stand beside Richard.

“Have it your way,” Demos smirked, releasing a blast of magic. 

Richard swiftly raised this sword, blocking the magic that shot out towards him, grinding his teeth with the wraith that was consuming him. He wasn’t about to let his brother win or get his hands on Kahlan.

“Zedd!” Richard growled through gritted teeth as he fought back the stream of magic that was growing more powerful with every moment.

Zedd was at his side in an instant. He released a blast of magic that knocked Demos backwards onto the ground. Enraged, he immediately leapt to his feet only to find himself suddenly trapped in a Wizard’s web, the soldiers standing on the steps rushing to his aid. 

Caid raced towards his son, sweeping him up into the safety of his arms. Cara and Richard moved in front of Kahlan to take on the advancing soldiers, both more than eager for a fight while Zedd kept the new Lord Rahl occupied. 

“You cannot win against me!” Demos roared from where he stood entwined in the invisible web, furiously trying to move his arms so he could break free.

Swords drawn, soldiers came at them in a fury. Caid stood by, torn between keeping his son safe and helping Richard and Cara. Slamming her agiel into the chest of one of the men, Cara saw him contemplating what to do.

“Go!” Cara shouted at him, grunting with the force with which she was pressing her weapon into the soldier’s body as he crumpled to the ground. “Get your son and family away from here.”

Caid nodded, sharing a knowing look with the Seeker. Much respect and gratitude was communicated in that brief moment before the Commander turned to leave with his son.

Richard threw himself into the heated battle, allowing his fury to course like a violent river through his body as he quickly cut them down one by one. He blocked arching blows, dodged deadly swings all the while keeping Kahlan safely behind him. He knew it was all she could do to stand right now.

“We need to go…now!” Zedd yelled. “I added a little something to that Wizard’s web, but it isn’t going to hold him for long!”

“No, but it’s long enough,” Richard sneered as he finished off the last of the soldiers, flipping his weapon around in his hand. He took an enraged step towards Demos, his sword clutched tightly in his fist, lethal commitment blazing in his eyes.

A forceful hand on his shoulder brought him to a sudden stop. “We need to get Kahlan out of here more than you need revenge right now.”

His grandfather’s stern words cut through his rage-filled mind, causing logic to roar back to the surface. He stared at his brother for a long tense moment. “This is far from over,” Richard spat out as he glared at his brother.

“I should say so…brother,” Demos growled, his arms beginning to gain the slightest of movements as he fought to break free.

Demos watched as Richard and his companions raced to their horses, quickly fleeing the Palace and leaving him all alone. He was enraged that he had allowed himself to be deceived like he had been. He had underestimated his brother and it had cost him dearly…in more ways than one.

Now, he had no magical tooth and no Confessor.

XXX

Richard could barely breathe with the joy and relief that was thrumming through him as they quickly escaped into the safety of the mountains. The feel of Kahlan’s arms wrapped securely around his waist as he urged his horse faster was electric.

He wanted nothing more at that moment than to leap from his horse, take her into his arms, to kiss her and never stop. He’d rather be confessed to her for all eternity than to never have her in his life, to never know her touch or show her how much he truly loved her.

He couldn’t begin to erase the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips nor did he want to. Kahlan was alive and safe with him once more. That’s all he cared about at that moment besides getting away from his wicked brother.

He tensed as he suddenly felt her lean even further against him, laying her head against his back. Keeping a tight hold of the reins with one hand, he placed his other hand over her arms that were wrapped around him. He gently rubbed her arm, silently letting her know that it was going to be alright now.

He knew she’d been through more than her share of torment the last several days. It hurt him to think of the things that she had endured; terrified to learn the things that Darken Rahl had done to her while she had been in the Underworld.

And yet it was beyond amazing having her back with him, to once again feel her body against his, her scent invading his senses once more. He ached to kiss her, to hold her and touch her the way that he was dying to, but he knew this small connection between them would have to do for now until they could get a safe distance away from Demos.

He hoped that Kahlan was alright, that she could hold on a little longer. He cast a worried glance back over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of her, but all he could see was the top of her head. Afraid, he slipped his hand over hers, clutching it tightly, more than relieved when she laced her fingers through his in response.

He released a ragged sigh knowing that she was still with him. He just prayed the spell was finally broken, her connection to the Keeper forever severed. He couldn’t go through this again.

“Just rest, Kahlan,” he murmured, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. “You’re safe now.”

Kahlan could hardly keep her eyes open, the feel of Richard’s thumb stroking her hand relaxing her even further. She wanted so badly to stay awake, to be able to enjoy the feel of her arms encircling her Seeker’s firm body again. She was so relieved to be back with him once more, to be away from Darken Rahl.

She internally shuddered as memories of the things that he had done to her while she had been in the Underworld flooded her mind, the blinding pain that she’d endured because of him. It hurt to swallow, her lungs still burning with every breath she drew. She squeezed her eyes even tighter against the forming tears that threatened to fall. Her heart was suddenly pounding out of her chest with the fear that was thundering through her.

She tightened her hold around Richard, burying her face even further into his back. She fought back the wild panic that tore through her like a wildfire at the thought of slowly being dragged back there again. She didn’t want to ever leave Richard again.

Exhaustion continued its assault on her, threatening to drag her under, but she was afraid of the nightmares that would no doubt follow her there. Opening her eyes, she attempted to focus on the trees that flew by, but soon found she was unable to fight the fatigue any longer as her eyes soon slipped closed once more.

All she wanted at that moment as sleep claimed her was to dream about Richard and the life that he told her they would have together someday after the Keeper was defeated. Deep down, though, she knew it was Darken Rahl who would be filling her dreams, following her into the world of the living despite the fact he was still trapped in the Underworld.

A single tear suddenly slipped down her cheek as she slipped into unconscious oblivion.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sudden attack by D’Haran soldiers results in an outcome that no one could have ever anticipated.

Chapter 28

Growling under his breath, Darken Rahl could scarcely believe that Kahlan Amnell had escaped him again. She had been here…right here with him, at his mercy. Then, she was suddenly gone, vanishing like the wind back into the world of the living.

He furiously kicked a stone out of his path as he paced, his eyes locked on the spot where she’d reappeared in the Underworld not long ago. It was the very place where he’d began to take out his rage on her, to torment her in ways she couldn’t have begun to imagine. To take what his brother Richard wanted to much would’ve been such delicious revenge.

But now she was gone again, the Mother Confessor’s pure heart beating once more. They were back where they had started.

The Keeper had said nothing since Kahlan had been saved. He was rather relieved by that fact. He would definitely prefer his silence over being on the receiving end of the Keeper’s wraith after losing their prize.

“This isn’t over yet.”

The Keeper’s intrusive voice caused Darken Rahl to pause in his steps. “She’s gone,” Darken bleakly reminded him.

“And the prophecy still stands.”

“So Kahlan will die soon again?”

“Death is inevitable for all…especially for those like the Seeker and Mother Confessor who continually chose to oppose me.”

A grin slowly spread across Darken’s face at the thought of having his brother and Kahlan both here with him. He would make sure they would enjoy their time here with him.

XXX

Kahlan felt arms wrapped firmly around her, holding her tight and causing fear to spike through directly to her core. It was Rahl. She’d been fighting against him in her dreams and now he was really here, holding her down and forcing himself on her.

She wouldn’t allow him to take her without a fight. She’d rather endure the pain he caused with his dark magic then to just let him take what was not his to have.

She began to struggle, tried to pull free, but his hold on her only grew stronger, kept her arms locked to her sides. She tried to move her legs, to kick him off of her, but his leg was hooked over hers keeping her pinned against him. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her throat still felt like hot razors. It was as if Rahl had scorched her vocal cords with his magic, her lungs burning with every breath and bringing tears to her eyes.

“Kahlan…Kahlan…it’s alright…it’s me, Richard…”

Richard’s soothing voice suddenly cut through her panicked thoughts, causing her to stop fighting him. She opened her eyes to find herself staring into his worried brown eyes. She was lying on her side facing him, enveloped safely in his strong arms. She quickly buried her face in his chest, grabbing hold of his tooth pendant and clinging to him as she cried.

If she only knew it was that very tooth that had just saved her life a few hours ago.

Richard rubbed her back as he held her, trying to calm her. She’d been unconscious since they had escaped and even after finally stopping to set up camp. He had held her the rest of the evening and long into the night. She’d cried several times in her sleep, thrashing about and fighting his hold on her, but never fully waking until now.

“You’re safe, Kahlan,” Richard murmured, stroking her hair. “I’m not going to let him hurt you ever again.”

Spirits, what had Rahl and the Keeper done to her?

He felt her begin to settle the longer that he held her, her tears finally subsiding. She pulled back to look at him, still having a hard time believing that she was actually here with him instead of trapped in the Underworld.

“Richard,” she whispered, reaching with trembling fingers to touch his face.

He dipped his head, capturing her lips in a slow tender kiss that only seemed to grow more insistent, more heated. His arms tightened around her, his hands pulling her body flush against him. He was not about to let her go any time soon. 

He was so relieved that she was here with him, safe from the Keeper and Darken Rahl. He knew it had been risky giving Demos his own tooth to rescue Kahlan, not knowing what was really going to happen, but he’d had no other choice. He’d had a dreadful feeling about the other tooth, something inside of him that had warned him not to let Demos have it.

He was just thankful that he had been right in following his instincts. He shuddered to think of what the outcome could have been had he not.

And because he had, Kahlan was with him where she always belonged, in his arms and in his life. Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he pressed his lips to her forehead, so thrilled that she was warm to his touch once more. He heard a soft sigh slip past her lips as he leaned down to kiss her again.

His body demanded so much more, but she wasn’t ready. She was still weakened from what the Keeper had put her through, still needed more time to recover. Besides, he still had to convince her that he loved her more than her magic. 

The last several days had more than proven to himself the very depths of his love for her, the lengths that he was willing to go for her. He had never once doubted the depths of his feelings for her, but losing what he loved most only showed him that his love for her ran deeper than even he had first believed. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner,” he murmured as he gazed into her eyes. “I can’t imagine what they did to you, what you had to…”

“Richard, you saved my life,” she interrupted him with a raspy whisper, his heartache so visible on his face. “I’m with you and that’s all that matters now.”

“Zedd’s going to see about healing your voice once you’re regained more of your strength,” he told her. “He thinks it’s related to whatever happened to you in the Underworld. Spirits, what did they do to you, Kahlan?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” she slowly shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. “Is it really over? Is the spell broken?”

“Zedd believes that it is,” he reassured her, caressing the side of her face. “He thinks that the spell was fulfilled when you…when you died. The link was no longer needed and was broken.”

“And Demos?”

“I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of him,” he grimly replied with a ragged sigh. “But don’t worry about that now. You just rest, regain your strength. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“I love you, Richard,” she whispered, her eyes suddenly heavy again.

“And I love you more, Kahlan,” he murmured, kissing her again before pulling her against him once more.

Richard knew that things with his new-found brother were far from over. He had not at all liked the vile way that Demos had leered at Kahlan, the wanton lust that had filled his dark eyes as he had stared at her. It was obvious he was drawn to women who had not been touched by a man yet. It caused his jealous rage to roar to the surface, demanding satisfaction, but he forced it back down instead.

He shuddered to think of what the other tooth would have done to her or what Demos would do if he ever got his hands on her. His brother would have to get through him first before he ever came close to laying a finger on Kahlan. He had stopped once. He would stop him again.

Despite that, Richard couldn’t shake the feeling that he had still missed something, something dreadful that would come back to haunt them all.

XXX

Demos Rahl stood staring out the window that overlooked the city, his hands clasped behind his back. He had been standing there for hours, staring out into the night as his mind replayed every single event, every single thing that was said and done.

He had underestimated Richard Cypher, had not anticipated that he would be able to discover that his tooth was linked to the world of the living while the tooth that Demos had wanted had been linked to the Underworld.

Richard shouldn’t have been able to figure that out. He had purposefully withheld information from him so that he knew as little as possible about what he was walking into. And now, he was still without the tooth that he wanted. 

And yet, things couldn’t have gone better.

Demos pinched his lower lip between his thumb and forefinger, pulling on it and allowing it to slip from his fingers only to start all over again as his mind raced with dark thoughts that he couldn’t begin to control even if he wanted to.

He may not have the tooth that he so badly wanted, but he had found something even better, something far superior to anything that he’d ever known that he now wanted more than anything. 

The Mother Confessor.

Images of her beauty haunted his thoughts, awakening his simmering arousal. If he could find a way to get her for himself, to harness her powerful magic he would be invincible. Not even the Keeper himself could stand against him.

Fortunate for him, he’d had foresight enough to take extra precautions, had planned for any number of outcomes.

His brother thought that he had won when he had switched the tooth on him. Little did the Seeker know Demos had done a little last minute deception of his own, something that none of them had even noticed. Not even the great Wizard of the First Order had picked up on the little extra touch he had added to his dramatic performance for them. 

Richard would find out soon enough, though.

“Egremont,” Demos suddenly called, the General quickly approaching from the dark shadows of the room where he’d been patiently waiting. “Have the soldiers returned yet?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Egremont readily replied, bowing his head. “The men followed them as far as you had instructed them to go and then immediately returned to the Palace.”

“Good,” Demos muttered. “Have Laira brought to my chambers immediately. I need to relax.”

“I’m afraid I cannon, my Lord. She died this afternoon,” the General regretfully informed him. “The healers were unable to repair her injuries this time. They were far too extensive even for them.”

Demos sighed in heated frustration. Laira had been beautiful, but obviously weak. He needed a strong woman, a powerful woman like Kahlan Amnell no doubt was. She would be his greatest prize, his greatest conquest.

It was only a matter of time now.

“Find me a new one then,” he angrily demanded. “One with hair dark like the Mother Confessor. She’ll have to do until I can have Kahlan for myself. Make sure this one lasts.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Egremont bowed as Demos stalked from the room, wondering how he would be able to escape the Confessor’s magic. No one was immune to her powerful touch.

Whatever new troubles his Lord Rahl had just created, it was all still centered on the Seeker and Mother Confessor…

 

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
